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09 April 2003

Coalition Forces Now Control Iraqi Capital, More Fighting Ahead

(U.S. Central Command Report, April 9: Iraq Operational Update) (580)
By Merle D. Kellerhals, Jr.
Washington File Staff Writer
Washington -- The Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein no longer controls
Baghdad, but U.S. officials briefing journalists warn that the war is
not over and intense fighting remains ahead toward the northern area
of the country.
"The capital city is now ... added to the list of [areas] where the
regime does not have control," Army Brigadier General Vincent Brooks
said April 9 at the daily Central Command briefing near Doha, Qatar.
"Today, the regime is in disarray and much of Iraq is free from years
of oppression. Televisions across the world today are filled with
images of jubilant Iraqis who know the regime is coming to an end."
Brooks said much of the heavier fighting will begin shifting to the
area around Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's hometown. He said coalition
forces are still attempting to assess enemy troop concentrations
there.
"We anticipate that any fighting that would occur there, if we happen
to go to Tikrit, would be similar to what we've seen in other parts of
the country," Brooks said. War planners expect to find a combination
of regular Iraqi Army forces, irregular forces and some paramilitary
units in Tikrit, he said.
Brooks said he would not disclose "when we might go in that direction
and what we would do," he said. "We certainly are focused on Tikrit
... to prevent the regime from being able to use it as a place to ...
restore command and control, or to hide."
Brooks said coalition land forces have consolidated gains in the areas
south of Baghdad while continuing pressure against the regime and its
remaining forces.
"Beginning in Basrah, coalition forces also continued expanding their
area of influence north of Basrah, along the road that leads between
Basrah and al Amarah," he said. "Their efforts there are focused
against any remaining regime elements, and also transitioning to
humanitarian assistance."
Brooks said U.S. Fifth Corps troops are increasing security areas
beyond Baghdad to the west, and they have also begun transitioning to
humanitarian assistance. Reconnaissance elements of the 101st Airborne
Division discovered weapons caches of varying sizes inside schools
near Karbala. The air assault troops also found an abundance of food
and Roland-type air defense missiles, he said.
"The 1st Marine Expeditionary Force continued its attack near al
Amarah, and also in Baghdad," Brooks said. "Near al Amarah, the
Marines there met minimal resistance from two of the divisions that
had originally been deployed on the eastern flank. The divisions had
already abandoned their weapons and departed the battlefield, after a
period of air attacks, leaflet drops, and also following the
liberation of Basrah."
He said the Marines there will begin transitioning to humanitarian
assistance and civil-military operations.
In other operations, Brooks said:
-- Ships have begun arriving carrying humanitarian supplies from
Britain, Australia and Spain. "And there are large volumes of
humanitarian supplies that are beginning to flow now for the Iraqi
people," he said.
-- As coalition forces move across the battlefields, embedded medical
teams provide medical care for all Iraqi citizens in liberated areas.
At the same time, a determined effort is under way in the liberated
areas to restore function to existing civilian medical facilities.
-- A Spanish field hospital from the Spanish ship Gallacia is inbound
for Umm Qasr, augmenting medical support that's available for the
southern region of Iraq.
(The Washington File is a product of the Office of International
Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site:
http://usinfo.state.gov)