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March 23, 2003
www.iraqwar.ru
The IRAQWAR.RU analytical
center was created recently by a group of journalists
and military experts from Russia to provide accurate
and up-to-date news and analysis of the war against
Iraq. The following is the English translation of the
IRAQWAR.RU report based on the Russian military intelligence
reports.
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March
22, 2003, 1300hrs MSK (GMT +3), Moscow - Additional information
about the situation in the primary combat areas in southern
Iraq became available by 1300hrs (Moscow time, GMT +3).
The US command reports about the supposed surrender of
the entire Iraqi 51st Infantry Division turned out to
be a complete fabrication. According to our sources the
51st Division continues to fight on the approaches to
Basra and we can only talk about individual cases of
Iraqi soldiers being captured in combat.
Elements
of the US 3rd Infantry Division and the 1st Marine Infantry
Division ended up in an exceptionally difficult situation.
While attempting to encircle Basra from the north and
to block An-Nasiriya elements the 3rd and 1st infantry
divisions found themselves wedged between the defending
Iraqi forces. The Iraqi command used this situation and
delivered a decisive counterattack with up to 80 tanks
in the open flank of the US forces, slicing through their
combat orders. As the result of this counterattack these
US units are now at risk of being separated from the
main coalition forces and being surrounded.
By
1100hrs MSK Iraqi units advanced into the US attack front
by 10-15 kilometers and Gen. Tommy Franks, the commander
of the coalition forces, ordered his troops to switch
entirely to defensive operations. At the same time he
issued orders to the forward-deployed coalition tank
units to halt their reconnaissance operations in the
directions of Es-Samaba and An-Najaf and to move immediately
to
support the defending US forces. However, the situation
is complicated by the fact that a part of the coalition
tanks are currently disabled due to the lack of fuel
and are awaiting the arrival of fuel convoys. Thus the
tanks are able to gradually rejoin combat in small numbers
as the fuel becomes available.
Currently
the US and the Iraqi tank forces are engaged in mobile
head-on combat approximately 70-90 kilometers to the
south of An-Nasiriya. Combat orders have been received
by the carrier borne aviation in the Persian Gulf, which
until now did not take part in this battle. At the same
time orders were issued to all available coalition strike
aircraft in Qatar to scramble in support of the defending
coalition
forces.
Intercepted
radio communications indicate that during the morning
period of March 22 the US forces lost 10-15 tanks destroyed
or disabled and up to 30 other armored vehicles. Medevac
helicopters flew more than 30 search-and-rescue missions,
which suggests heavy coalition losses.
Our
sources report that during the early morning hours in
southwestern Iraq in the vicinity of Akashat the Iraqi
forces have engaged and surrounded a tactical paratroop
unit of the 101st Airborne Division. Some of the surrounded
paratroopers were able to break out into the desert,
where they request air support and finally lost their
Iraqi pursuers. However, up to 30 US troops were killed
or captured in this engagement. Additionally, [Russian]
radio intercept units report that one the US attack helicopters
providing close air support was shot down.
The
top US military command is planning to enhance the coalition
command. During the Joint Chief of Staff meeting its
Chairman Gen. Richard Mayers expressed strong criticism
of the
actions by the coalition commander Gen. Franks
and proposed to strengthen his headquarters with several
other senior military commanders. Gen. Franks is required
to do everything he can to change the current situation
on the front. Analysts believe that, if during the next
3-5 days Gen. Franks fails to achieve any significant
results, than it is entirely possible that he will be
replaced as the commander of the coalition forces.
Update: The
coalition forces were able to capture a bridge in the
suburbs of Nasiriya. Their control of the Basra airport
is tentative at best as large numbers of Iraqi forces
continue to resist with heavy artillery and machine gun
fire. Around Basra the coalition forces have advanced
at most by 1.5 kilometers. Gen. Franks has announced
a change in plans: the coalition forces
are
no longer
set
on capturing
Basra
so not to "create military confrontations in that
city."
The coalition forces still do not control Umm Qasr and
appear to be losing territory.
(source: iraqwar.ru,
03-22-03, translated by Venik)
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