[Oldeconomybuyer]

ROME (AP) -- About 1,000 U.S. paratroopers landed in northern Iraq on Wednesday, a U.S. military spokesman said, part of the American strategy of opening a northern front against Saddam Hussein's regime.

A unit of the 173rd Airborne, based in Vicenza, Italy, went into the north Wednesday night, said Lt. Col. Thomas Collins, spokesman for the U.S. Army Southern European Task Force.

[BurbankKarl]

Gee, Debka had this four days ago....was posted and pulled.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Army troops parachuted into and took control of a key airfield in northern Iraq on Wednesday, becoming the first sizable American military presence in that part of the country, defense officials said.

The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said elements of the Army's 173rd Airborne Brigade, based in Italy, parachuted into the airfield. The officials would not state the precise location of the airfield nor give the number of troops involved.

A defense official said that before this operation, several hundred special forces troops had been operating on the ground in northern Iraq.

[Calpernia]

Let's Honor Our Airborne!

http://www.centerstall.com/airborne.rm

[VRWC_minion]

First sign of the attack from the North I predicted days ago.

[Future Snake Eater]

Excellent. This is the unit I hope to be first assigned to.

[ingodwetrust]

That had to be one unbelieveable sight!

[Have Ruck - Will Travel]

AIRBORNE!

[armymarinemom]

My youngest has been really ticked that he isn't with that unit. A lot of his buddies went to them.

[There's millions of'em]

Airborne!