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Lord, Keep our Troops forever in Your care Give them victory over the enemy... Grant them a safe and swift return... Bless those who mourn the lost. . FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer for all those serving their country at this time. ...................................................................................... ........................................... U.S. Military History, Current Events and Veterans Issues Where Duty, Honor and Countryare acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated. Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel...

CAMP AS SAYLIYAH, Qatar (AP) -- Iraqi paramilitary forces in Basra fired mortars and machine gunfire Friday on a "couple of thousand" Iraqi civilians trying to flee city, British military officials said. Members of Britain's 7th Armored Brigade were trying to neutralize the fire, evacuate the civilians and treat the wounded, said Lt. Col. Ronnie McCourt, a spokesman for British forces in the Gulf. He said a "couple of thousand" Iraqi civilians had tried to break out of the besieged city in the north and west, but came under fire from Iraqi paramilitary forces inside. "We are trying to...

Challengers wipe out column of Iraqi T55s after chance encounter in Basra desert THE morning sun was up, the fog of war had briefly lifted. In the distance, a moving cloud of dust betrayed a column of armour on the move. Twenty miles southeast of Basra, 14 Challenger 2 tanks of C Squadron, Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, were on their way to reinforce 3 Commando Brigade, Royal Marines on al-Faw peninsula. They were not expecting tanks from the north; they had another mission in mind. But they had reached the position they were in only because of some speedy and...

British tanks wipe out Iraqi Soviet-made tanks around Basra Iraqi armored units have proven to be no match to British main battle tanks. Officials said Britain's Challenger-2 tanks have easily picked off Iraqi T-55 tanks around the southern city of Basra. So far, they said, scores of Soviet-origin T-55 tanks have been destroyed in battles around Basra over the last two days. On Thursday, officials reported the destruction of 14 Iraqi tanks, believed to have been T-55s. Iraq first obtained the T-55 in the mid-1960s and some of them were upgraded in the 1980s. Officials said Iraq appears to...

UK forces fight tank battle south of Basra By Peter Graff ABOARD HMS ARK ROYAL, March 25 (Reuters) - British forces south of Basra have blocked an attempted breakout by up to 50 Iraqi tanks seeking to press southward from the edge of the city, a British naval commander said on Tuesday. Captain Alan Massey of the flagship aircraft carrier Ark Royal said British light tanks from the Queen's Dragoons' Guard and marines from two battalions on the Faw Peninsula had halted the advance of the Iraqi tanks overnight and on Tuesday morning. "They were aided by small helicopter gunships...