U.S., Iraqis battle 70 miles south of Baghdad

Reuters | 3/31/03 | Andrew Gray

[kattracks]

U.S., Iraqis battle 70 miles south of Baghdad

By Andrew Gray

NEAR IMAM AIYUB, Iraq, March 31 (Reuters) - U.S. troops battled Iraqi forces on a front line about 110 km (70 miles) south of Baghdad on Monday in a fierce clash in which U.S. forces said many Iraqis and at least one American died.

The U.S. troops called in fighter jets with laser-guided bombs and used tanks, helicopters and artillery against the Iraqi positions near the town of Imam Aiyub on the east bank of the Euphrates.

"There's still extremely heavy contact right now," Captain Brad Loudon of the 2nd Battalion 70th Armored Regiment said. The Iraqis hit back with tanks, mortars and rocket-propelled grenades.

A Reuters correspondent travelling with the U.S. troops said it was apparently the northernmost advance by U.S.-led ground forces towards the capital along the road on the eastern bank of the Euphrates.

"Two enemy tanks have been destroyed and a host of (Iraqi) infantry," Loudon said, without giving any number. He said that "at least one" American was killed.

Monday's death raised the U.S. toll to at least 46 with another 17 missing. "We believe we've also destroyed several anti-aircraft guns," he said.

British Tornado jets and U.S. Navy F-14s were called in to drop laser-guided bombs anti-aircraft guns and tanks, U.S. officers said.

Units of the U.S. 101st airborne division were also sent in to reinforce. The battle was about 20 km (12 miles) from the ancient site of Babylon, famed for its Hanging Gardens.

APACHE LANDS

A U.S. Apache helicopter had to land after one of the two crew suffered a cut to his head and a slight concussion. The helicopter took off again with the same crew after medical officers tended the cuts.

It was not clear how many troops were involved on either side in the battle, which began at about 7 a.m. (0400 GMT) on Monday after the U.S. forces drove north.

Washington has denied that there is any "operational pause" in the 12-day-old invasion despite stiff resistance in many parts of Iraq.

A Reuters reporter said the number of U.S. troops involved in fighting around Imam Aiyub did not seem enough for a major push to Hilla and beyond. Hilla is the main city remaining between Imam Aiyub and Baghdad.

One mortar landed on the road where journalists travelling with the troops were standing. The crackle of small arms fire could also be heard.

Burnt out vehicles littered the sides of the road south of Imam Aiyub, apparently after air strikes and clashes in recent days.

Hundreds of Iraqis were reported killed around the town of Kifl to the south of Imam Aiyub last week. The town had seemed deserted at the weekend.

03/31/03 03:31 ET

[EternalVigilance]

Wow. Twelve miles from Babylon.

Belshazzar's Feast


The Handwriting on the Wall
1 Belshazzar the king made a great feast for a thousand of his lords, and drank wine in the presence of the thousand. 2While he tasted the wine, Belshazzar gave the command to bring the gold and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple which had been in Jerusalem, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. 3Then they brought the gold vessels that had been taken from the temple of the house of God which had been in Jerusalem; and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. 4They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone.
5In the same hour the fingers of a man's hand appeared and wrote opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace; and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. 6Then the king's countenance changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his hips were loosened and his knees knocked against each other. 7The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. The king spoke, saying to the wise men of Babylon, "Whoever reads this writing, and tells me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck; and he shall be the third ruler in the kingdom." 8Now all the king's wise men came, but they could not read the writing, or make known to the king its interpretation. 9Then King Belshazzar was greatly troubled, his countenance was changed, and his lords were astonished.
10The queen, because of the words of the king and his lords, came to the banquet hall. The queen spoke, saying, "O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts trouble you, nor let your countenance change. 11There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God. And in the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him; and King Nebuchadnezzar your father--your father the king--made him chief of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers. 12Inasmuch as an excellent spirit, knowledge, understanding, interpreting dreams, solving riddles, and explaining enigmas[1] were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, now let Daniel be called, and he will give the interpretation."


The Writing on the Wall Explained
13 Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king spoke, and said to Daniel, "Are you that Daniel who is one of the captives[2] from Judah, whom my father the king brought from Judah? 14I have heard of you, that the Spirit of God is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you. 15Now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but they could not give the interpretation of the thing. 16And I have heard of you, that you can give interpretations and explain enigmas. Now if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around your neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom."
17Then Daniel answered, and said before the king, "Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another; yet I will read the writing to the king, and make known to him the interpretation. 18O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father a kingdom and majesty, glory and honor. 19And because of the majesty that He gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whomever he wished, he executed; whomever he wished, he kept alive; whomever he wished, he set up; and whomever he wished, he put down. 20But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him. 21Then he was driven from the sons of men, his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. They fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till he knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and appoints over it whomever He chooses.
22"But you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, although you knew all this. 23And you have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven. They have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your lords, your wives and your concubines, have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which do not see or hear or know; and the God who holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways, you have not glorified. 24Then the fingers[3] of the hand were sent from Him, and this writing was written.
25"And this is the inscription that was written:
MENE,[4] MENE, TEKEL,[5] UPHARSIN.[6]
26This is the interpretation of each word. MENE: God has numbered your kingdom, and finished it; 27TEKEL: You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting; 28PERES: Your kingdom has been divided, and given to the Medes and Persians."[