Score one for the allies as U.S. soldiers get a huge lift after the dramatic rescue of Army private first class Jessica Lynch from a hospital in Nasiriya. Lynch is part of the Army's 507th Maintenance Company that was ambushed on March 23. The fate of other soldiers in that unit is unknown; as part of the hospital raid, special forces units also recovered 11 unidentified bodies, some of which could be allied casualties.
Meanwhile, the coalition noose is tightening around Baghdad as troops advance to within 19 miles of Baghdad. The city of Karbala has been surrounded, and U.S. Marines have taken the city of Kut, routing a Republican Guard division in the process of crossing the Tigris river.
An Iraqi man flashes the victory sign, right, as he approaches a checkpoint on the outskirts of Basra, southern Iraq, Wednesday April 2, 2003. British forces are still clashing with Iraqi loyalists in the hope of capturing Basra. (Associated Press)
The Other Side - Analysis, angles and opinions on the Web.
Absence of Iraq's planes raises questions, Chicago Tribune - Why hasn't Iraq's air war materialized?
Walker's World: Who will run Iraq?, UPI - The debate over who will run post-war Iraq is already turning into a nightmare, says Martin Walker.
War--to be or not to be, Joplin Independent - Now's the time to give up your stance on war and support our troops, says this commentator.
Coming to terms with the 'great equalizers', Asia Times - How best to deal with suicide attacks, and how much of a deterrent are they?
Background: Myth as weapon, Iraq as Palestine, Ha'aretz - Is Saddam Hussein's ploy to draw parallels between the Iraq/U.S. conflict and the Israel/Palestine relationship a valid one?
Iraq war's feathered and four-legged soldiers, Independent Online (South Africa) - How animals are playing their role in human combat.
Posted by uswarblog
at 10:08 AM EST
Updated: Wednesday, 2 April 2003 12:25 PM EST
