U.S. Marines advance unopposed through NE Baghdad

Reuters | 4/08/03

[kattracks]

U.S. Marines advance unopposed through NE Baghdad

BAGHDAD, April 9 (Reuters) - Thousands of U.S. Marines moved block by block through Saddam City, a huge urban sprawl in northeast Baghdad, early on Wednesday, continuing to sqeeze out Iraqi resistance in the capital.

Reuters correspondent Sean Maguire, travelling with a unit of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, said troops met very little resistance, getting a largely warm reception as they swept the low-income residential district.

Saddam City is home to two to three million Iraqis, mainly from the Shi'ite Muslim majority, who have traditionally been marginalised by the Sunni ruling elite, most lately by President Saddam Hussein's Sunni-dominated government.

The few local residents on the streets cheered and clapped the U.S. troops. Maguire said he did not hear a shot fired.

U.S. warplanes flew low overhead and Marines laid down a long barrage of U.S. artillery which appeared to be "prep" fire, aimed at clearing a space free of Iraqi soldiers or paramilitary fighters for the advancing American troops. One officer said the methodical pace to the assault was to "destroy remaining pockets of enemy resistance."

In one industrial compound, Marines found 500 rocket-propelled grenades. On Tuesday, the Marines had swept through other parts of east Baghdad, meeting only sporadic resistance from Iraqi fighters.

04/09/03 01:06 ET

[goldstategop]

We're making friends as we go along. Quagmire indeed. :)

[kellynla]

With the 1st Mar Div they better be smiling or die like the rest. Semper Fi

[Shermy]

Good news.

[gcruse]

I have enjoyed playing first person shooter games for a long time. In so many of them, you invade enemy territory and pick up caches of weapons to replenish your own supplies as you go. I always thought this was kind of unrealistic. Now I know that wasn't the half of it. Iraq is an ammo dump.

[Hugin]

Saddam City is a primarily Shiite slum of people who moved to Baghdad from the countryside looking for work. Saddam's people are mostly Sunni and have oppressed the residents of that part of Baghdad mercilessly. It should be friendly territory.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

It's just a terrible plan. Horrible. Ill-conciveed. Just ask Daschle, Kerry, Hitlery! (although THIS sly fox has been laying low lately).

[Mo1]

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[AFPhys]

troops met very little resistance, getting a largely warm reception as they swept the low-income residential district.

Whee doggies! Welcome news, and things seem to truly be coming together as the Iraqi dissidents claimed. I believed them (having known a few in my life) but having the proof is a real treat.

[SENTINEL]

Ooh Rah !

[Nitro]

I am an ex-Squid and historically we battle the jarheads,...

but when the defication hits the rotary occilator...

we all fight as one!

Here is a big bad Marine Green John Basilone bump!!

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

I think the bad guys are downtown trying to get their Palace back!

OFFICIAL BUMP(TOPIC)LIST

[gcruse]

LOL Indeed, indeed!