NewsMine — war-on-terror — iraq — 2003-invasion — beginning-war — shockawe — Viewing Item

Offensive launched mushroom { March 22 2003 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)    http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Articles.asp?Article=47144&Sn=WORL http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Articles.asp?Article=47144&Sn=WORL Vol XXVI NO. 002 Saturday 22 March 2003 Anti-war protests mount as main offensive launched BAGHDAD: Thousands of anti-war protesters staged rallies around the world as the US and Britain launched their main air offensive against Baghdad last night. The wave after wave of aerial bombardment triggered giant fireballs, deafening explosions and huge mushroom clouds above the city centre. Warplanes also hit military targets in the northern cities of Mosul and Kirkuk with equal ferocity. Defiant in the face of the ferocious onslaught, Iraqi Defence Minister Sultan Hashim Ahmed vowed that no force would break Iraq. Other ministers vowed to "incinerate" the invaders and said President Saddam Hussein was still alive. They ridiculed the claims of early US successes and predicted invasion forces would soon become bogged down. The massive air war followed a ground assault in southern Iraq which saw US and British forces seize the key port of Umm Al Qasr and move to the outskirts of Basra, the biggest city in the south. British commandos also took the Faw peninsula on the southern tip, seizing oil export terminals, but Iraqi troops pinned down US Marines pushing toward Umm Qasr for two hours before British artillery blasted the Iraqi defences open. US and British forces seized two boats off southern Iraq carrying 68 mines, military officials said. Other Iraqi cities came under air attack last night with US officials warning that several hundred targets would be hit in the coming hours. Al Jazeera TV said there was a raid on Mosul in the north, and an AFP correspondent said there was also anti-aircraft fire around the key northern oil city of Kirkuk. US and British troops suffered their first casualties when two Marines were killed in action and eight British and four US soldiers died in a helicopter crash in Kuwait.

0322 01 [jpg] 1500 bombs 50 dead basra { March 22 2003 } Baghdad blitzed { March 21 2003 } Baghdad red glow { March 22 2003 } Baghdad rocked Baghdad wakes up explosions { March 21 2003 } Bodies everywhere { March 22 2003 } Capt.1048276045.iraq_war_xjd102 [jpg] Capt.1048296883.iraq_war_nywd159 [jpg] Capt.1048297020.iraq_war_lon816 [jpg] Devastating shrieks Fire [jpg] Full blooded onslaught { March 22 2003 } Mushroom cloud smoke { March 21 2003 } Offensive launched mushroom { March 22 2003 } Strong blasts { March 22 2003 } Files Listed: 17

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