The Liberation is in Progress ...

Thursday March 20, 2003 23:27

by The Guardian

(as Ireland sleeps)

Royal Marine Commandos take Al Faw peninsula · 3 Commando Brigade seizes Red Beach area · US and UK marines hold Iraqi border town · Baghdad palace bombed

Royal Marine Commandos take Al Faw peninsula

· 3 Commando Brigade seizes Red Beach area
· US and UK marines hold Iraqi border town
· Baghdad palace bombed

Royal Marine Commandos have taken part in an assault on the important Al Faw peninsula - the area known as Red Beach - on the Iranian border, following an intense bombardment from Kuwait.
The amphibious and air assault on Red Beach saw 3 Commando Brigade taking control of the area tonight in the most significant confirmed land activity so far by British troops. Reports say that the Commandos invaded the beachhead making way for a mine-clearing operation. The area is now reported to be occupied by the Scimitar tanks of the Queen's Dragoon Guards.

The Red Beach invasion points to the Commandos moving towards the southern Iraqi town of Basra.

US and British marines crossing the Kuwaiti border into southern Iraq tonight seized the Iraqi border town of Umm Qasr, the official Kuwaiti News Agency reported.

The town, which is the only major sea port for goods to enter Iraq, lies some 30 miles south of the key city of Basra.

The coalition troops were making what US officials described as a preparatory move ahead of a northward thrust by US and British troops massed near the border in Kuwait.

A CBS journalist reported that a number of Iraqi troops had surrendered to US marines who had just crossed into Iraq from Kuwait. The correspondent said that the Iraqi troops had been laying a mine field when they were intercepted by the soldiers. The network did not say how many Iraqi troops had surrendered.

Earlier tonight, the ground war was opened with an assault by the US 3rd Infantry Division on Iraqi troops in the south-east of the country. The troops opened fire using Paladin self-propelled howitzers and multiple launch rocket systems.

A UK military source confirmed that British forces had participated in the ground attack on Iraq. Reuters quoted the source as confirming: "British forces are engaged ... The whole thing is kicking off tonight." According to press reports, British Harrier jets were being scrambled tonight in sorties against Iraqi Scud-carrying lorries along the Kuwaiti border.

Fox News reported that the ground forces struck with 2,000lb bombs and missiles and fired at ground targets from helicopter gunships, while marines launched artillery into the same areas. Iraqis returned some fire, but missed the soldiers, who were constantly changing position in the desert, the reporter added.

The ground war was launched around an hour after the US defence secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, promised in Washington that "the days of the Saddam Hussein regime are numbered."

Mr Rumsfeld said that the US had hit a senior Iraqi leadership position in its initial strikes on Baghdad. He offered no details, saying a damage assessment was pending.

The assault "was the first", he said. "It likely will not be the last."

US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that a massive assault on Iraq could begin later tonight. An American-led invasion force of 250,000 troops is poised to strike on orders from the US president, George Bush.

Air strikes target Baghdad palace

Iraq's planning department appeared to have been heavily hit by US bombardments on Baghdad tonight. CNN reported that the office of Iraq's deputy prime minister, Tariq Aziz, had also been hit.

US military officials said that tonight's salvo involved about 40 Tomahawk missiles and several precision-guided bombs aimed at the Iraqi president, Saddam Hussein, and other leaders near Baghdad. British Tornados also flew into Iraq and dropped laser-guided bombs on key military installations.

A senior US official with direct knowledge of the operation said the attack included sea-launched cruise missiles fired at Republican Guard strongholds in the Iraqi capital.

Iraqi radio tonight reported that today's initial dawn raids had hit President Saddam Hussein's family home in the capital, but said that there were no casualties.

As the first major bombardment of the Iraqi capital got under way at around 1815GMT, heavy detonations and the crackle of anti-aircraft fire were heard in the city.