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GRU
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Al-Jazeera: UAV is downed over Basra. Remains of drone are shown by this TV company.
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The Mad Monk
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of Ice Cream
Mar 2000
time: 23:27
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quote:
Fedayeen Saddam 'essentially terrorists'
By Bill Gertz
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Up to 30,000 members of Iraq's black-hooded Fedayeen Saddam militia are using terrorist tactics to fight coalition forces in southern Iraq, are threatening the local population, and, intelligence reports indicate, plan to don U.S. military uniforms.
Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said yesterday that the Fedayeen Saddam, meaning "those ready to sacrifice themselves for Saddam," were dispatched to southern Iraq and are using guerrilla tactics such as fake surrenders to fight U.S. and British troops in the cities of Basra, Nasiriyah and Umm Qasr.
"We have intelligence information saying that the Fedayeen Saddam people — I'm not going to call them troops, because they're traveling in civilian clothes and they're essentially terrorists — have been moving south into some areas, including Basra, and that they are in some cases pretending to surrender and then shooting people," Mr. Rumsfeld said.
Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said some of the Fedayeen have taken over tanks of Iraqi troops that surrendered.
Mr. Rumsfeld told reporters at the Pentagon that the Fedayeen are not a serious threat to the U.S.-led military campaign.
"What they do represent is a terrorist-type threat," he said, noting that the fighters are expected to continue battling advancing coalition forces until Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein is overthrown.
"I suspect that some of these deadenders will be down there shooting people and doing that type of thing," he said. "That's basically what's going on."
The fighters have been filmed in civilian clothes waving automatic rifles, and field reporters in Basra said the Fedayeen are killing civilians and plan to blame it on allied forces.
Saddam's supporters also were seeking to intimidate an uprising by the city's populace, predominantly Shi'ite Muslims, by deploying tanks in civilian areas and driving close to crowds roaming the streets.
One report quoted a coalition officer as saying that any move into central Basra would be delayed until daylight today so as to better distinguish between pro- and anti-Saddam forces.
U.S. intelligence officials said the Fedayeen have obtained the light-brown camouflage uniforms used by American troops. Even before the war began, there were reports that Saddam had ordered the purchase of U.S. uniforms, which are widely available for commercial sale around the world.
One official said no Fedayeen have been found with the uniforms.
U.S. officials said the fighters are likely to wear the uniforms and attempt to blend in with American troops before opening fire or conducting other guerrilla attacks.
There also are fears the Fedayeen will massacre local Iraqis in areas occupied by U.S. and British troops and then blame the attacks on the United States.
Jim Wilkinson, director of strategic communication at Central Command in Tampa, Fla., has said Saddam had ordered the purchase of the U.S. uniforms.
"Saddam intends to issue these uniforms to Fedayeen Saddam troops who would wear them when conducting reprisals against the Iraqi people so that they could pass the atrocities off as the work of the United States and the United Kingdom," Mr. Wilkinson said March 5.
An intelligence official said there may be as many as 30,000 Fedayeen in southern Iraq and that the guerrillas appear to have moved into the area by circling around rapidly advancing armored columns.
A senior defense official said that estimates about the Fedayeen numbers vary from 5,000 and 10,000 to 25,000 and 30,000.
The official noted that lack of agent-based intelligence on the Iraqi government accounted for the differing estimates.
Mr. Rumsfeld said Saddam has committed "acts of treachery" by dressing fighters as "liberated civilians sending soldiers out waving white flags and feigning surrender, with the goal of drawing coalition forces into the ambushes."
The militia also are using Red Cross vehicles to send military instructions by courier.
"These are serious violations of the laws of war," he said. "The regime's actions have had little practical military effect thus far, but they do serve as a telling reminder of why it is important that this regime be removed."
Mr. Rumsfeld said he did not view the Fedayeen or the Special Republican Guard in the same category as the military because "they are more fanatical."
The defense official said that in addition to Fedayeen, another irregular element has been detected: armed members of the ruling Ba'ath Party that also were dispatched by Saddam to fight.
"The Fedayeen are so widely dispersed and they have been somewhat effective in using terrorist tactics against us," the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
Gen. Myers said the military is fighting to stop the Fedayeen and other Republican Guard troops that have "come down in civilian uniforms to keep a gun in the back of other people."
"And that's what you're seeing right now," he said.
Gen. Myers also said Iraq's 51st regular army division, which surrendered recently, is not fighting.
However, "some of their equipment may have been used by the Fedayeen, perhaps, or other folks the Fedayeen brought with them," he said.
The Fedayeen also are believed to have brought Republican Guard members who had changed into civilian clothes and are fighting in the south.
Gen. Myers said most of the 51st division "ran away" and some of their tanks were used by Fedayeen or Republican Guard in a battle yesterday against British troops.
"They were defeated by the British," he said.
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http://www.washtimes.com/national/20030326-1831570.htm
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GRU
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Iranian radio:
A Iranian-national reporter working for Arab LBC TV and Al-Hayat newspaper has been kindnapped yesterday by British troopers in Al-Faw. Representative of LBC TV is trying to negotiating with Brittons for libration of the reporter.
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Eli
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Israel
Jul 2000
time: 07:27
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IDF Radion : The American Intelligence says that 5000 of the Republican Guard soldiers and thousands of vehicles are moving from Baghdad towards a force of American Marines near Najaf.
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GRU
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/mi...ast/2887555.stm
'Many casualties' in Baghdad market...
Reuters news agency correspondents say they have seen at least 15 burnt bodies near three badly damaged apartment buildings in a residential area of the city...
Some local people have said the number of dead could be as high as 45...
Besides in the same story:
Amnesty International has warned that the bombing of Iraqi state television station in Baghdad by US allied forces could be a breach of the Geneva Conventions.
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Eli
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Israel
Jul 2000
time: 07:27
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Al-Jazeera :
Iraqi soldiers are surrounding an American force ner Basra. The reporter says that there is heavy fighting in the area and that some Americans might have been captured.
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Ned
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of Aptos, CA
Oct 1999
time: 21:27
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FOX: Marines are turning back to deal with problem of Nasiriya. The resistance there is preventing adequate supplies from reaching the spearhead. At the same time, a force of Republican guards with 1000 armored vehicles is advancing on the Marines from Baghdad.
http://apnews.excite.com/article/20.../D7Q0PQO80.html
Last edited by Ned on 26-03-2003 at 18:19
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GRU
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Al Jazeera shows bodies, POWs, said to be British
DUBAI, March 26 (Reuters) - Al Jazeera television on Wednesday broadcast video of two dead soldiers and two prisoners of war, all said to be British.
The Arabic-language television network said it obtained the exclusive video following fighting at Zubayr, near the southern Iraqi city of Basra, over the past two days. It did not say where the video came from.
The video showed bloodied bodies in uniform, lying on their backs. The two prisoners were shown briefly, looking sombre, but there was no audio.
03/26/03 10:14 ET
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GRU
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cronos_qc,
How do you know? ;-)
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GRU
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Iranian radio:
Deputy of Majlis (parliament) Ahmad Meidari, Abadan, confirmed today that the USA have expressed their excuse to Iran for two missiles, which accidentally hit a factory and living quarters of this Iranian city. He told that Unites States have expressed their readiness to cover all the expenses caused by those accidents.
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GRU
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Summary of Iraqi today's claims given by Russian sources:
1) Three US UAVs (pilotless aircrafts) downed at north of Iraq. Reporters would be available to see its wreckages.
2) Civilian losses: 9 killed and 19 injured at north, 4 and 18 at center.
3) Paramilitaries downed a coalition chopper close to Najaf.
4) Tribal warriors sieged 12 coalition tanks north to En-Nassiriya and destroyed 2 armoured vehicles.
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GRU
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cronos, see previous page.
BBC reported that some local people have said the number of dead could be as high as 45...
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GRU
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U.S. troops in fierce battle for bridge near Najaf
NEAR NAJAF, Iraq, March 26 (Reuters) - U.S. troops fought a fierce battle with Iraqi forces on Wednesday for control of a bridge over the Euphrates river close to the southern Iraqi city of Najaf,a U.S. military officer monitoring the clash said. He said an unspecified number of U.S. tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles had been destroyed by Iraqis armed with rocket propelled grenades and automatic rifles during the clash at Abu Sukhayr, 20 km (13 miles) southeast of Najaf.
He said he believed that the U.S. crews, under the command of the 3rd Infantry division, had escaped from their vehicles but their fate was still unclear.
Reuters correspondent Andrew Gray, reporting from near Najaf, said he heard jets flying overhead. The officer said air support had been called in to support the U.S. forces.
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GRU
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Russian Interfax news agency:
Head of Al-Jazeera's Moscow office explained about today's film from Az-Zubejr.
"We have shown bodies of 2 killed UK servicemen and pictures of 6-7 captured British soldiers [i have picture of one them, he is an Afro-Brtitish]. Besides, it was some destroyed equipment - one armoured vehicle and some cars as well as one downed UAV".
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26-03-2003 09:57
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