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02 April 2003

U.S. Forces Fight to Within 50 Kilometers of Baghdad

(Defense Department report, April 2: Operations in Iraq) (540)
U.S. forces, engaging Iraqi Republican Guard divisions defending
Baghdad, have moved to within 50 kilometers of the Iraqi capital, a
Defense Department spokesman said April 2 at a Pentagon briefing.
U.S. Army Major General Stanley McChrystal, vice director of
operations at the Joint Staff, said U.S. forces have engaged at least
two Republican Guard divisions.
The guards "cannot maneuver as a division, cannot defend effectively,
[and are] not effectively able to counterattack," McChrystal said.
Clarifying a statement by the spokesman of the U.S. Central Command in
Qatar earlier in the day that the Republican Guard's Baghdad Division
had been "destroyed," McChrystal said the spokesman meant that the
guards had been rendered "incapable of effective maneuver or defense
anymore."
"Clearly, there are pockets of resistance still capable within that
organization. And the contact we've seen earlier today has been
described as sporadic, but not able to stop coalition maneuver,"
McChrystal said. Some Iraqi forces were surrendering, "but not in
tremendous numbers," he said.
Asked whether defeated Republican Guard units were retreating into
Baghdad, McChrystal said, "[C]learly, as we are destroying many of
these organizations in place, [destroying] their equipment in place,
as people melt away, it's very difficult to stop very small groups of
people. But organized formations would have a very difficult time
pulling out."
Asked whether Baghdad is still exercising command and control over
Iraqi forces, McChrystal answered, "[T]here's clearly command and
control evident. There are maneuvers being conducted. There is some
level of integrated air defense in the Baghdad area. But having said
that, ... effective command and control, effective maneuvers is not as
evident."
McChrystal said there are "indications" that elements of the regular
army have been brought in to reinforce Republican Guard organizations.
"Interestingly enough, we think that's a sign of weakness on their
part. They would not normally match those formations," McChrystal
said.
Nonetheless, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs and
Spokeswoman Victoria Clarke said several times during the briefing
that "some of the toughest fighting may lie ahead."
In other topics:
-- Coalition forces flew more than 1,000 sorties April 1. To date more
than 700 cruise missiles have been fired and in excess of 10,000
precision-guided munitions have been used, McChrystal said.
-- Private Jessica Lynch, who had been wounded and captured by Iraqi
forces and was rescued in An Najaf by a combined U.S. special
operations force, is in good spirits and on her way to Germany for
hospitalization and treatment, Clarke said.
-- Two U.S. ships are expected to deliver "within just a few days"
50,000 tons of wheat -- enough to feed four to five million Iraqis for
a month, Clarke said.
-- Coalition forces are prepared if the Iraqis use chemical or
biological weapons, and it "won't change the outcome on the ground,"
McChrystal said.
-- No Iraqi Scud missiles or missile launchers have been found.
However, two Al Samoud 2 missiles were found, Clarke said.
-- Clarke and McChrystal said they had no evidence on the status of
Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)