Keep your spirits high, everyone. We are winning.
Regards, Ivan
Posted on 03/25/2003 6:37:23 AM PST by MadIvan
The Desert Rats killed 20 of Saddam Hussein's most fanatical followers in a daring raid, it was revealed today.
The men of Zulu Company of the Royal Fusiliers, part of the Desert Rats, launched a daring night-time attack on the local Ba'ath party headquarters in Basra in the most dramatic action yet by UK forces in the Gulf.
The men later posed proudly with a trophy of war, a painting of Saddam Hussein.
A few hours later the southern port of Umm Qasr was declared "safe and open" after days of street fighting. Umm Qasr will allow the Allies to land vital humanitarian aid with the first shipment expected within 36 hours.
The drama involving the Desert Rats took place in Zubayr, seen as a hotbed of resistance led by Ba'ath party loyalists.
A mixed force of Desert Rats and Royal Marines stormed a building identified as the Ba'ath party's key regional headquarters in the early hours of today.
They killed 20 Ba'ath party officials, Special Security Organisation members and Fedayeen fighters, Saddam's personal militia.
A senior Ba'ath party official was taken prisoner and is to be questioned on his knowledge of the resistance effort in and around Basra.
The commander of British forces in the Gulf, Air Marshal Brian Burridge, promising similar actions in the future.
He said: "We made it quite clear to them that we, the British Armed Forces are up for this and you are going to have a very hard time."
British forces now plan to use their expertise of operations in Bosnia and Kosovo to separate the Ba'athist regime from the local populace.
A senior military source said: "We want to split the oppressive regime away from the people who do not want to resist us. The local population are not interested in fighting."
Keep your spirits high, everyone. We are winning.
Regards, Ivan
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| Mon Mar 24, 3:00 PM ET |
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Members of the Desert Rats, Zulu Company, Royal Fusiliers, drive their Warrior tank into a monument of Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) as they enter Basraand in southern Iraq (news - web sites), Monday, March 24, 2003. (AP Photo/Mark Richards, Pool) |
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| Mon Mar 24, 2:42 PM ET |
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Members of the Desert Rats, Royal Fusiliers, drive their Warrior tank into a monument of Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) in Basra, southern Iraq (news - web sites), Monday, March 24, 2003. (AP Photo/Mark Richards, Pool) |
That picture is a keeper.
Ah, the Lads!
Be Seeing You,
Chris
I keep hearing about these guys! They are also responsible for despicable surrender tactics. Who are they? Are they domestic fighters or from another country? What is their motivation? How do the Iraqi citizens perceive them? What is their fate after Iraq is liberated?
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