So now Saddam is using suicide bombers. Not surprising, given he pays the families of suicide bombers "reward" money.
No, Saddam isn't a terrorist, is he? He doesn't support terrorism, does he? He has no connection with Al Quaeda, does he?
Four U.S. soldiers killed in suicide bombing
U.S. restricts missile fire over Saudi Arabia
Saturday, March 29, 2003 Posted: 11:27 AM EST (1627 GMT)
DOHA, Qatar (CNN) -- Four U.S. soldiers were killed Saturday morning in a suicide bombing that U.S. officials called a desperate act.
Two people, dressed in civilian clothes, set off the explosion at a military checkpoint in the central Iraqi town of Najaf, U.S. military sources said. The checkpoint was operated by the Army's 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division.
At a Central Command briefing in Qatar, U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Victor Renuart said the attack appeared to be "a symbol of an organization that's getting a little desperate."
The suicide bombing was the first against U.S. and British forces since the invasion of Iraq began. There have been warnings of such attacks in Iraq. (Full story)
Retired Maj. Gen. Don Shepperd, a CNN military analyst, said it could take some time for coalition forces to establish security in Iraq.
"The only way to defend against it is to make people get outside of their cars way away from you, open all of the doors and approach it very carefully from a distance," Shepperd said. "If you let someone drive a truck up around a checkpoint where there's several guards, there's almost no defense against that."
Renuart said the attack would not change the coalition's operational strategy but added that it was still under review.
He also said the United States has restricted the firing of Tomahawk cruise missiles over parts of Saudi Arabia until it can be determined what caused some errant missiles to land in Saudi territory.
"It doesn't affect our plan," Renuart told reporters. "We use other routes. We use other systems."
Meanwhile, U.S. Marines in the southern city of Nasiriya launched a daybreak attack Saturday, using Cobra helicopter gunships, tanks, armored vehicles, mortars and artillery against Iraqi forces. (Full story)
Nasiriya has been the scene of the fiercest fighting the Marines have been involved in since Vietnam, senior Marines told CNN.
Marines on Saturday recovered remains from two graves, believed to be two Marines missing since last week's ambush by Iraqi forces on an armored vehicle convoy, military officials told CNN's Alessio Vinci. A day earlier, search teams found the bodies of seven Marines.
Twenty-six U.S. service members are unaccounted for in Iraq. (Full story)
Elements of the 82nd Airborne have been brought into the area to provide security for supply and logistics lines moving up and down southern Iraq. The 82nd will providing a heavily armed force against paramilitary forces, U.S. military officials told CNN.
Farther south, coalition forces trying to secure Basra, Iraq's second largest city, have been engaged in running battles with Iraqi irregulars, some wearing civilian clothes.
The British military's main focus is to eradicate Iraq's ruling Baath Party within the Basra province, British military spokesman Col. Chris Vernon said Saturday.
U.S. aircraft attacked and destroyed a two-story building in Basra, where an estimated 200 Iraqi militiamen were meeting Friday, the U.S. Central Command said Saturday.
Two U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles, using laser-guided munitions, destroyed the building, which a Central Command official described as an "emerging target." The men inside were described as "Iraqi regime terror squad members," but it was not clear to what organization they belonged.
Coalition forces targeted a number of Baath party headquarters facilities overnight, Brig. Gen. Vincent Brooks said at Saturday's Central Command briefing.
Also on Saturday, the Syrian Foreign Ministry disputed U.S. allegations that military equipment -- including night vision goggles were being smuggled from Syria to Iraq.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld warned Syria that the shipments were "hostile acts" and said Syria would be held accountable for them.
"All that he's doing in such comments is to try and put the entire region ablaze," said Syrian Foreign Ministry official Bouthaina Shaaban. "He has already started an unnecessary and illegitimate war in Iraq, victims of which are Iraqis, Americans and British and I hope that he will think in a different line, in a line to stop this war."
No, Saddam isn't a terrorist, is he? He doesn't support terrorism, does he? He has no connection with Al Quaeda, does he?
Four U.S. soldiers killed in suicide bombing
U.S. restricts missile fire over Saudi Arabia
Saturday, March 29, 2003 Posted: 11:27 AM EST (1627 GMT)
DOHA, Qatar (CNN) -- Four U.S. soldiers were killed Saturday morning in a suicide bombing that U.S. officials called a desperate act.
Two people, dressed in civilian clothes, set off the explosion at a military checkpoint in the central Iraqi town of Najaf, U.S. military sources said. The checkpoint was operated by the Army's 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division.
At a Central Command briefing in Qatar, U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Victor Renuart said the attack appeared to be "a symbol of an organization that's getting a little desperate."
The suicide bombing was the first against U.S. and British forces since the invasion of Iraq began. There have been warnings of such attacks in Iraq. (Full story)
Retired Maj. Gen. Don Shepperd, a CNN military analyst, said it could take some time for coalition forces to establish security in Iraq.
"The only way to defend against it is to make people get outside of their cars way away from you, open all of the doors and approach it very carefully from a distance," Shepperd said. "If you let someone drive a truck up around a checkpoint where there's several guards, there's almost no defense against that."
Renuart said the attack would not change the coalition's operational strategy but added that it was still under review.
He also said the United States has restricted the firing of Tomahawk cruise missiles over parts of Saudi Arabia until it can be determined what caused some errant missiles to land in Saudi territory.
"It doesn't affect our plan," Renuart told reporters. "We use other routes. We use other systems."
Meanwhile, U.S. Marines in the southern city of Nasiriya launched a daybreak attack Saturday, using Cobra helicopter gunships, tanks, armored vehicles, mortars and artillery against Iraqi forces. (Full story)
Nasiriya has been the scene of the fiercest fighting the Marines have been involved in since Vietnam, senior Marines told CNN.
Marines on Saturday recovered remains from two graves, believed to be two Marines missing since last week's ambush by Iraqi forces on an armored vehicle convoy, military officials told CNN's Alessio Vinci. A day earlier, search teams found the bodies of seven Marines.
Twenty-six U.S. service members are unaccounted for in Iraq. (Full story)
Elements of the 82nd Airborne have been brought into the area to provide security for supply and logistics lines moving up and down southern Iraq. The 82nd will providing a heavily armed force against paramilitary forces, U.S. military officials told CNN.
Farther south, coalition forces trying to secure Basra, Iraq's second largest city, have been engaged in running battles with Iraqi irregulars, some wearing civilian clothes.
The British military's main focus is to eradicate Iraq's ruling Baath Party within the Basra province, British military spokesman Col. Chris Vernon said Saturday.
U.S. aircraft attacked and destroyed a two-story building in Basra, where an estimated 200 Iraqi militiamen were meeting Friday, the U.S. Central Command said Saturday.
Two U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles, using laser-guided munitions, destroyed the building, which a Central Command official described as an "emerging target." The men inside were described as "Iraqi regime terror squad members," but it was not clear to what organization they belonged.
Coalition forces targeted a number of Baath party headquarters facilities overnight, Brig. Gen. Vincent Brooks said at Saturday's Central Command briefing.
Also on Saturday, the Syrian Foreign Ministry disputed U.S. allegations that military equipment -- including night vision goggles were being smuggled from Syria to Iraq.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld warned Syria that the shipments were "hostile acts" and said Syria would be held accountable for them.
"All that he's doing in such comments is to try and put the entire region ablaze," said Syrian Foreign Ministry official Bouthaina Shaaban. "He has already started an unnecessary and illegitimate war in Iraq, victims of which are Iraqis, Americans and British and I hope that he will think in a different line, in a line to stop this war."
