Iraq Deliberately Allowing Advance on Baghdad, says Iraqi Official

voa ^ | 3/23/03

[knak]

Iraq's vice president claims Baghdad is deliberately allowing coalition forces to move toward the capital. The senior official also claims American soldiers have been captured. Iraqi officials also say there were many civilian casualties in bombing raids on the southern city of Basra.

Iraqi Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan appeared on Iraqi television, saying that captured U.S. soldiers would soon be shown on television. U.S. officials deny any coalition soldiers have been captured by the Iraqis and have shown video of hundreds of Iraqis surrendering.

Mr. Ramadan also said allied troops are moving so quickly in their desert drive north because Iraq is deliberately allowing them to move uncontested to Baghdad. He said the coalition forces would be defeated once they near the capital city.

Iraq's information minister, Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf, said 77 civilians were killed and 366 injured when, what he called cluster bombs were dropped Saturday on the southern Iraqi city of Basra. Mr. al-Sahaf accused coalition forces of targeting residential areas in Basra. There has been no independent confirmation of his claims.

Although U.S. officials have not reported the loss of any American aircraft in combat, senior Iraqi officials told reporters in Baghdad that Iraq's air defense system has shot down five coalition fighter aircraft and two helicopters.

Iraqi state-run television showed President Saddam Hussein wearing a military uniform and smiling during a meeting with his top advisers. It could not be determined when or where the video of the Iraqi president was recorded.

Earlier, coalition forces bombarded the Iraqi leader's hometown of Tikrit. In Baghdad, new explosions rocked the capital, including a blast in the center of the city and others on its outskirts.

In neighboring Syria, Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri warned Turkey, another of its neighbors, against supporting a U.S.-led war against Baghdad.

Turkey is allowing U.S. aircraft to fly through Turkish airspace, but has denied a Washington request to station 62,000 U.S. troops on Turkish soil.

[knak]

bs

[Bogey78O]

What are they gonna do? Burn their crops and practice scorched Earth? God scorched that land eons ago.

[kattracks]

Mr. Ramadan also said allied troops are moving so quickly in their desert drive north because Iraq is deliberately allowing them to move uncontested to Baghdad. He said the coalition forces would be defeated once they near the capital city.

In his dreams.

[clamper1797]

I don't know ... but I smell a trap ... it's been way too easy so far.

[maestro]

Gen. Giap.......technique/Chinese Proverb.

[Cvengr]

"Iraq's vice president claims Baghdad is deliberately allowing coalition forces to move toward the capital."

The Iraqi VP reflects a rebellious hearted statement from an arrogant loser.

[sheik yerbouty]

"I really meant to do that!' said the jihadist wanker "Pee Wee Ramadan"!

[MinuteGal]

We all know what Saddam's ghost is trying to do.....suck us into another Stalingrad in Baghdad.

I say give fair warning to the populace and level the city and all the Republican Elite Guards and their military installations within it.....NOW!

Leni

[TLBSHOW]

hey Syria..... stfu

[Boundless]

> Iraq's vice president claims Baghdad is deliberately
> allowing coalition forces to move toward the capital.

If this were true, they'd hardly be likely to admit it.

[Bogey78O]

Us forces wouldn't have an insufferable winter to deal with. Nor wuld their logistics be slowed down. We could sit outside the city for quite a while the people surrender.

Plus the residents of Stalingrad knew what the Nazis would do if they surrendered as well as what Stalin would do. Once Baghdad falls then Saddam is gone.

[MissBaby]

If that was their plan, they would not be announcing it.

[LS]

I have two responses:

Japan 1945, "We are allowing them to incinerate our cities so we can draw them in and suffocate them with human ashes."

Second, why the HELL haven't we taken out this stupid TV station? I don't get it.

[Sabertooth]

"We are deliberately allowing what we are powerless to stop."

[Freeper Lady]

Yup. Been saying that all along. But surely our military has thought of the same.

[Brett66]

And when the 3rd ID crushes his "Elite" Republican Guard they'll say that was a deliberate defeat. Oh brother, these guys really are amateurs. The only thing they could do is open up with barrages of artillery filled with chemical agents. They will die quickly if that happens. If they don't use chemical weapons, they will get a chance to surrender. The whole regime doesn't seem to understand the slightest military strategy, they don't even watch the right movies that they base their strategy on. Instead of Enemy at the Gates, they should've been watching Patton. LOL!

[ProudEagle]

I don't know ... but I smell a trap ... it's been way too easy so far

My thoughts exactly. Anyone who's ever cornered a rattlesnake knows what it does to itself when it understands it's own certain death. It bites itself injecting it's own venom. This lunatic has nothing to lose and has obviously proven he could care less about his own people. He'll martyr them in pursuit of his own glory. This madman is capable of anything at this point. The thought crossed my mind that he'll let us get close enough to Baghdad and cook one off or release some of those weapons "he doesn't have". I gotta believe the planners have thought of this scenario too, but it still lingers in the back of my mind. I pray to God I'm wrong.

[GraniteStateConservative]

Why did Bush go on a vacation and say that he'll talk to the Pentagon about what had been happening while he was travelling back to the WH? Questions reporters should be asking.

[jwalsh07]

Well they're doing a damn good job at allowing us to advance. You know, I know naturalised Iraqi's living in America and they are simply not stupid people. Methinks, most of the smart ones have been killed or snuck out.

[Snake65]

The Stalingrad stuff is a bunch of bs. Stalingrad was never completely encircled, as Baghdad will be. The Soviets were able to feed fresh troops into the meat grinder from the other side of the Volga.

Baathists are going to run out of meat very quickly.