March 22, 2003, 1300hrs MSK (GMT +3), Moscow UPDATE -
Additional information about the situation in the primary
combat areas
in southern Iraq became available by 1300hrs (Moscow time,
GMT +3). The US command reports about the supposed surrender
of the entire Iraqi 51st Infantry Division turned out to
be a complete fabrication. According to our sources the
51st Division continues to fight on the approaches to Basra
and we can only talk about individual cases of Iraqi soldiers
being captured in combat.
Elements of the US 3rd Infantry Division and the 1st Marine
Infantry Division ended up in an exceptionally difficult
situation. While attempting to encircle Basra from the
north and to block An-Nasiriya elements the 3rd and 1st
infantry divisions found themselves wedged between the
defending Iraqi forces. The Iraqi command used this situation
and delivered a decisive counterattack with up to 80 tanks
in the open flank of the US forces, slicing through their
combat orders. As the result of this counterattack these
US units are now at risk of being separated from the main
coalition forces and being surrounded.
By 1100hrs MSK Iraqi units advanced into the US attack
front by 10-15 kilometers and Gen. Tommy Franks, the commander
of the coalition forces, ordered his troops to switch entirely
to defensive operations. At the same time he issued orders
to the forward-deployed coalition tank units to halt their
reconnaissance operations in the directions of Es-Samaba
and An-Najaf and to move immediately to support the defending
US forces. However, the situation is complicated by the
fact that a part of the coalition tanks are currently disabled
due to the lack of fuel and are awaiting the arrival of
fuel convoys. Thus the tanks are able to gradually rejoin
combat in small numbers as the fuel becomes available.
Currently the US and the Iraqi tank forces are engaged
in mobile head-on combat approximately 70-90 kilometers
to the south of An-Nasiriya. Combat orders have been received
by the carrier borne aviation in the Persian Gulf, which
until now did not take part in this battle. At the same
time orders were issued to all available coalition strike
aircraft in Qatar to scramble in support of the defending
coalition forces.
Intercepted radio communications indicate that during
the morning period of March 22 the US forces lost 10-15
tanks destroyed or disabled and up to 30 other armored
vehicles. Medevac helicopters flew more than 30 search-and-rescue
missions, which suggests heavy coalition losses.
Our sources report that during the early morning hours
in southwestern Iraq in the vicinity of Akashat the Iraqi
forces have engaged and surrounded a tactical paratroop
unit of the 101st Airborne Division. Some of the surrounded
paratroopers were able to break out into the desert, where
they request air support and finally lost their Iraqi pursuers.
However, up to 30 US troops were killed or captured in
this engagement. Additionally, [Russian] radio intercept
units report that one the US attack helicopters providing
close air support was shot down.
The top US military command is planning to enhance the
coalition command. During the Joint Chief of Staff meeting
its Chairman Gen. Richard Mayers expressed strong criticism
of the actions by the coalition commander Gen. Franks and
proposed to strengthen his headquarters with several other
senior military commanders. Gen. Franks is required to
do everything he can to change the current situation on
the front. Analysts believe that, if during the next 3-5
days Gen. Franks fails to achieve any significant results,
than it is entirely possible that he will be replaced as
the commander of the coalition forces.
Update: The coalition forces were able to capture a bridge
in the suburbs of Nasiriya. Their control of the Basra
airport is tentative at best as large numbers of Iraqi
forces continue to resist with heavy artillery and machine
gun fire. Around Basra the coalition forces have advanced
at most by 1.5 kilometers. Gen. Franks has announced a
change in plans: the coalition forces are no longer set
on capturing Basra so not to "create military confrontations
in that city." The coalition forces still do not control
Umm Qasr and appear to be losing territory.
(source: iraqwar.ru, 03-22-03, translated by Venik)
