TESTING THE 'RED ZONE'
As airstrikes continue pounding Baghdad, coalition troops are now within 50 miles of the capital, making forays into that radius, nicknamed the "Red Zone," to test the resistance level of Iraqi troops. It has also been speculated that Saddam Hussein could authorize use of chemical weapons if allied soldiers breach the Red Zone barrier.

After the weekend's suicide bombing, U.S. and British soldiers are getting more cautious in their checkpoint tactics, shooting into a van and killing seven civilians when it refused to stop. Military officials say the U.S. Army soldiers involved in the incident followed procedure to the letter.

And the Western media's embedded journalism campaign has received two "casualties." Pulitzer Prize winner Peter Arnett was fired by National Geographic and NBC News yesterday after being interviewed on state-run Iraqi TV, expressing his views on the coalition's failed war strategy. One day later, Arnett has been hired by
British tabloid Daily Mirror.




Also today, the U.S. military and Fox News agreed that gonzo journalist Geraldo Rivera would leave Iraq of his own accord after sketching out the position of the 101st Airborne Division in the sand, on camera.





Seen through a tapestry with Arabic script, U.S. Army soldiers aim towards a bridge over the Euphrates River which the U.S. Army seized in Al Hindiyah, Iraq, Monday, March 31, 2003. The Army's Task Force 4-64, part of the 3rd Infantry Division, took the bridge as part of its campaign to move north towards Baghdad. Translation of the Arabic is, "Passed away and gone to God's mercy, Arkan Attiya Kadhum." (Associated Press)

The Other Side - Analysis, angles and opinions on the Web

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Facing down armchair generals, The Globe and Mail (Canada) - How do Donald Rumsfeld's ideas on Iraqi engagement compare to Colin Powell's concepts 12 years ago?

Iraqi resistance nothing that coalition can't handle, Chicago Sun-Times - Despite all the concern in the media about this being a long, protracted war, Baghdad will fall more quickly than expected, says this columnist.

Iraq vs Vietnam: Similarities and differences, Asia Times - Comparisons to Vietnam are inevitable, but where do these two wars differ?

INCREASING THE PRESSURE
Allied troops continue inching towards Baghdad and bearing down on the Republican Guard divisions trying to hold them at bay. The coalition has now pushed as far as Hindiya, within 50 miles of Baghdad.

In the neighborhood of Nasiriya, meanwhile, Marines are on the hunt for Saddam Hussein's cousin, nicknamed "Chemical Ali" for ordering the use of chemical weapons on Iraqi Kurds in 1988. The Iraqi commander has been spotted in the town of Shatra, 30 miles north of Nasiriya.

An update on the attack in Kuwait that injured 15 U.S. soldiers: the driver of the pickup truck that rammed the group of soldiers was shot, and is in critical condition. Sources say the man was neither American, Kuwaiti, or Iraqi, but an Egyptian electrician hired to work at the Udairi military base.





A U.S. Marine passes by a traffic sign on the main highway heading to Baghdad near Al Diwaniyah in south central Iraq, Monday, March 31, 2003. (Associated Press)

The Other Side - Analysis, angles and opinions on the Web

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Kuwait diary: How to spot a mine, Financial Times - The kind of lessons journalists on the front lines are learning about self-preservation.

Dancing in defiance for the devil they know, Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) - Did the U.S. fail to understand that for Iraqi citizens, being anti-Saddam doesn't necessarily mean being pro-America?

'Embedded' reporters are far too close to the action, The Age (Australia) - The Iraq war journalism experiment has destroyed any standard of objectivity, says this editor.

U.S. must show disinterested motive in Iraq, ABS-CBN.com (Philippines) - Should the phrase "Iraqi liberation" be taken with a grain of salt, and is the U.S. making its motives too obvious?

THE FIGHT FOR BASRA
Allied forces continue to make slow but steady progress in their attempt to seize Basra. British troops have killed five paramilitary leaders and captured a general plus other high-ranking officers on the outskirts of the city.

The victories, however, do not come without a price. Yesterday, a suicide bomber driving a taxicab killed four Army soldiers at a checkpoint in the city of Najaf.

In a breaking development, a driver commandeering a pickup truck collided with a group of soldiers at an air base in Kuwait, injuring 15 but killing none. There is no immediate news on the identity of the attacker or his motive.

This follows another scare in Kuwait over the weekend when a Chinese Silkworm missile launched from Iraq struck a pier directly in front of Kuwait City's most popular shopping mall, causing moderate damage. Luckily, the incident happened at 1:45 AM local time, and the explosion only wounded two people.

The Other Side - Analysis, angles and opinions on the Web

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Go as you please: The fog of war, Barbados Daily Nation - "Truth is the first casualty of war. Language is the second."

Tambourines or booby traps?, The Washington Times - With the war becoming no "cakewalk," has the U.S. spin blown up in President Bush's face?

Iraq and the Lessons of History, Newsweek - A study of the Iraq war against the backdrop of history.

16 Questions: Sorting it out, looking ahead, St. Petersburg Times - A sort of FAQ about the war.

No instant victory / War in Iraq will take time and a human toll, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Despite comparisons to Vietnam, the U.S. will have to see this one through to the end.

REINFORCEMENTS
U.S. forces are soon to be nearly doubled: the Pentagon has signed the orders for 130,000 additional troops to be deployed to the Persian Gulf. 30,000 members of the Army's 4th Infantry Division and other units will depart immediately; another 100,000 troops will be dispatched next month.

In the meantime, bombs continue pounding Baghdad, the latest sorties involving two 4,700-lb. "bunker-busters" dropped from B-2 Stealth bombers. Additional strikes have been concentrating on Republican Guard divisions dug in outside the city.

Relief has finally arrived in the port city of Umm Qasr. A British supply vessel has docked with 232 tons of water, food and other necessities. Getting some of that aid to the city of Basra, however, which needs it most, will be a difficult task. The U.N. has also gotten back in the game, approving a resolution to resume its food-for-oil program with Iraq, which was suspended just before coalition forces entered the country.





Iraqi boys play soccer in front of smoke from raging oil fires billowing above Baghdad, March 28, 2003. Bombs and missiles crashed into Baghdad again during the day as the United States kept up a relentless bombardment, but a defiant Iraq promised "living hell" for the Americans and their British allies. (Reuters)

The Other Side - Analysis, angles and opinions on the Web

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Image versus reality in the Iraq media war, The Nation (Thailand) - Could it be that Saddam Hussein is even scoring surprise points in the television war?

Iraq's guerrillas shock an awesome machine, Financial Times - Disabling Abrams tanks is a clear example of how the Iraqi army has learned and adapted from the 1991 Gulf War.

A long, hard and bloody war ahead, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Seven miscalculations made by the U.S. about the Iraq war.

Planning Iraq's Wireless Future, PC World - Focusing on what's really important here: Can U.S. companies cash in on cell phone sales in the new, post-war Iraq?

How to follow the granularity when blues go kinetic, London Times - Keeping track of the English jargon spawned by the military establishment.

One voice not afraid to air Pentagon's dirty secrets, Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) - An article about Seymour Hersh's take on the state of American democracy.

For Saddam, survival is victory, The Age (Australia) - How will the military strategy change once coalition forces enter the urban jungle of Baghdad?

A clash of orthodoxies, Washington Times - Exploring the chasm between the Arab and Western worlds.

Iraq Body Count - A controversial website tallying civilian casualties in Iraq.

NORTHERN FRONT
Without Turkey's help, the coalition has begun establishing a northern presence in Iraq. 1,000 paratroopers from the U.S. Army's 173rd Airborne Brigade dropped into Kurdish-controlled territory overnight and secured an airfield in the town of Harir.

An Iraqi armor (tank) convoy streaming out of Basra was blasted by British warplanes, destroying all 14 tanks. Allied forces continue encircling the city, containing Iraqi resistance and waiting for the opportunity to seize it.

Meanwhile, the Red Cross has managed to get water partially flowing again to the two million civilians inside Basra. Aid that was destined for Umm Qasr has been delayed, however, by fears of more mines in the waters off the port city.


British tanks from the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment pass an Iraqi boy near Basra. Tired and thirsty Iraqi civilians trudged out of the southern city on March 27, seeking water, news of friends and shelter from sporadic fighting. (Reuters)

The Other Side - Analysis, angles and opinions on the Web

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Chretien playing both sides of fence with U.S., The Barrie Examiner (Canada) - Is Canadian Prime Minsiter Jean Chretien being wishy-washy, or skillfully walking the line?

A Little Perspective, Please, The Weekly Standard - Is the American public expecting the war to be won too quickly?

Wrong and right, The Globe and Mail (Canada) - One week into the conflict, what has gone well for the coalition, and what hasn't?

The Republican Guard, Cybercast News Service - A profile of Saddam Hussein's elite military unit.

Where is Raed? - A personal blog revealing life inside Baghdad.

U.S. TRIES FADE TO BLACK
Entering the second week of the war, Iraqi forces continue to put up stiff resistance against the coalition. Iraq state television became a new target of U.S. warplanes overnight as air strikes blasted the television building in Baghdad. After several hours, however, all but one of the Iraqi TV stations recovered and went back on the air.

A second soldier has died in the Kuwait grenade attack by an Army sergeant on his fellow troops. Suspect Asan Akbar has been transferred to a military base in Germany to await formal charges.

The U.S. Navy has brought in two trained bottlenose dolphins to help search for mines in the waters off Umm Qasr. The port city is expected to be the funnel for humanitarian aid to southern Iraq.


U.S. soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 70 Armor, dressed in their chemical protection suits, sit on top of their tank waiting out a desert sandstorm near the Iraqi city of Karbala, March 26, 2003. (Reuters)

The Other Side - Analysis, angles and opinions on the Web

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Remembering the Last Road to Basra, Republicons - Was the first Gulf War's "Highway of Death" really necessary, and can the U.S. avoid another one this time around?

Lofty moralists blind to stark truth, Sydney Morning Herald - Comparing the U.S. to Iraq in the treatment of POWs is unfair, says this writer.

Body Count, Tech Central Station - While the American public gets more anxious about allied casualties, this military scholar puts the week's death toll in perspective.

War's a fact of life, and sometimes even necessary, New Zealand News - Fighting is an intrinsic part of the human condition and sometimes essential for the greater good, argues this columnist.

War on Iraq - Your Views, Sky News - A collection of reader emails reacting to the war.

Gulf War II: The Sequel, The State Hornet - This writer compares his perception of the Iraq war, then and now.

Hyperpower nightmare, The Globe and Mail (Canada) - The Iraqi conflict is the defining war in the post-Cold War era, says this professor.

RIVER CROSSING
The coalition's road to Baghdad has reached a significant milestone: the crossing of the Euphrates River. Fighting continues to intensify the closer troops get to Baghdad, but at the moment troops are also being slowed by fierce sandstorms.

U.S. officials are keeping a close eye on Iraq's treatment of American POWs, which now numbers seven -- five Army soldiers captured two days ago and paraded on Arab TV, and two Apache helicopter pilots.


PFC Kevin Gropp of Littleton, Colorado, with the U.S. 3rd Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division, sleeps in a foxhole by his Humvee at an undisclosed location in southern Iraq, Tuesday, March 25, 2003. Thousands of troops were rumbling north toward Baghdad on Tuesday, taking safer dirt roads to avoid cities and towns where they could face Iraqi resistance, but many were halted by a sandstorm 50 miles south of the Iraqi capital. (Associated Press)

The Other Side - Analysis, angles and opinions on the Web

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Pragmatism means backing the right horse, The Straits Times (Singapore) - An interesting perspective on how foreign countries should handle their relationship with the U.S.

Iraq/USA: No double standards for POWs, Amnesty International - The human rights organization's official press release.

'Bush's War' tempted Clinton, The Globe and Mail (Canada) - A look at the Iraq agenda Bill Clinton continued in between Bush, Sr. and Bush, Jr.

What's Bush's next target for axis of evil?, The Hill - How should the North Korean situation be handled?

Who dropped the Turkey?, UPI - U.S. miscalculations with its usually steadfast ally could have long-term repercussions.

War in Iraq will result in great political costs for U.S., The Collegiate Times - America risks destroying what respect it has painstakingly built up in the international community, writes this guest columnist.

APPROACHING THE HORNET'S NEST
Allied forces draw ever nearer to Baghdad, finally engaging Iraq's elite Republican Guard units in heavy fighting roughly 60 miles from the capital city. One U.S. Apache helicopter has been confirmed shot down, with its crew missing. Officials could not verify Iraq's claims that a second Apache had also been brought down.

Elsewhere, the bloodiest fighting has occurred at Nasiriya, where U.S. commanders say they have taken the town, but at great cost: 10 Marines were killed and another 12 are missing, possibly among captured and dead POWs Iraq paraded on Arab TV.

Speaking of which, said Arab network Al Jazeera has just launched a website that offers a fascinating counterpoint to Western news reporting. Whom to believe?

Coalition troops have also made their first possible WMD (weapons of mass destruction) seizure, discovering and securing a chemical plant that may have been used to produce chemical weapons. Military specialists will soon begin investigating the site.


An F-14 Tomcat returns to the USS Harry S. Truman from a strike against Iraq, Monday, March 24, 2003. The Truman aircraft carrier launched strikes against Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. (Associated Press)

The Other Side - Analysis, angles and opinions on the Web.

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Columnist Criticizes Iraq Coverage, Editor & Publisher - The inaugural practice of "embedded journalism" in this war has colored the news in a whole new way.

A curious sort of war, Canada.com - All sorts of peculiar paradoxes exist in the Iraqi conflict.

Of Iraqi Freedom, Democratic Contagion And Giant Mistakes, AllAfrica.com - Is America, like Sigmund Freud once said, a "mistake, a giant mistake"?

From Shock and Awe, to Aw, Forget It, BusinessWeek - A facetious look at the sometimes overenthusiastic and biased Western press.

Weapons Of Mass Delusion, OutlookIndia.com - The world is being "catapulted towards chaos" in this op-ed piece.

The Lords of Vengeance, LiberalSlant.com - Both the U.S. and Iraq will pay too high a price in the war, says this Boston teacher.

Avert a bloodbath at Baghdad's gates, Toronto Star - Should the U.S. try to leverage the Arab League into brokering a surrender?

US will ignore Turkey's gray wolves at its peril, Asia Times - According to a former Turkish ambassador, Turkey is just waiting to pounce on Iraqi territory.

INTO ENEMY HANDS
And the fourth day brought bad news. The U.S. confirms 12 soldiers are unaccounted for, some of whom may be among captured and dead soldiers shown on Arab TV by their Iraqi captors.

A friendly fire incident has brought down a British Tornado GR4 aircraft, reportedly by a U.S. Patriot missile. The casualty list so far stand at two pilots.

All the way back in Kuwait, betrayal among the 101st Airborne has resulted in one dead and 12 injured after a U.S. soldier rolled several grenades into a command tent and opened fire with a handgun. Resentment has been speculated to be the motive, but authorities are still questioning the suspect.


A U.S. Army combat engineer of the 535th company points his machine gun as he secures important ground south of the city of Najaf in central Iraq, March 23, 2003. (Reuters)

The Other Side - Analysis, angles and opinions on the Web

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First Stop, Iraq, TIME Magazine - A fascinating, year-long look inside the White House and how Iraq made its way to the top of President Bush's agenda.

A Familiar Future For Iraq, AlterNet.org - What if, after the war, absolutely nothing changes in Iraq?

From False Start to Sure Victory, The Moscow Times - The coalition's gradual start to the war may have been a mistake, but technological superiority should win the day, says this Russian defense analyst.

A war of ifs, buts and maybes, The Age (Australia) - This anti-war professor acknowledges his private dilemma.

Noses out of joint over Iraq? That's fine by me, The Roanoke Times - Why should President Bush let other countries dictate U.S. foreign policy anyway?

Justifying the conflict, The Courier (Australia) - An Anglican bishop offers up his stance on the Iraq war.

Postwar Iraq could be awesome shock, too, Baltimore Sun - The state of Iraq after the conflict could be a powder keg of racial, cultural and class division.

'Democracy in Iraq will take up to 30 years', Swissinfo - A Middle East specialist says the U.S. has bitten off more than it can chew with its ideas of "nation-building."

Surprising silence on war in Iraq, San Francisco Chronicle - In the financial community, why are managers of "socially responsible" mutual funds keeping quiet?

Reviving Iraq's middle class, Boston Globe - Can post-war Iraq be restored to its pre-1990 affluence?

Iraq - The Fallout - Go As You Please, Barbados Daily Nation - How it feels to live in the shadow of the U.S.

Bush doctrine goes on trial, Jamaica Gleaner - Is the U.S. a bully in the mold of Al Capone?

SOUTHERN FRONT
On this third night of bombing, allied warplanes continue to bombard Baghdad and other strategically key cities like Kirkuk, Mosul and Tikrit.

Meanwhile, coalition forces keep pressing on through the desert of southern Iraq, reportedly seizing an airport and bridge in the key city of Basra. Iraqi forces continue resisting in the core of the city, however. Military officials say "thousands" of Iraqi soldiers have surrendered thus far.

More non-combat casualties have occurred: Two British Royal Marine helicopters collided with each other, killing one U.S. officer and six U.K. soldiers. That brings the non-combat deaths up to five Americans and 14 Britons. Two additional U.S. Marines have died in combat after firefights in southern Iraq.

And in the enough-is-enough department, CNN is reporting that the U.S. will set up base in eastern Jordan and fly in airborne troops from there, bypassing Turkey's ground and airspace and avoiding exasperating negotiations.


A U.S. Marine from CSSC 117, a part of the 3rd Marine Battalion, aims his rifle as a gun battle erupts some 200 yards from a military convoy in southern Iraq, March 22, 2003. (Reuters)

The Other Side - Analysis, angles and opinions on the Web

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Looming Confrontation, Arab News (Saudi Arabia) - What will happen when the U.S. and Turkey really face off on the issue of the Kurds and northern Iraq?

Where is Bush heading to?, Daily Nation (Africa) - How the U.S. can appear to someone on the other side of the fence.

Britain, Kuwait may benefit in post-war equation, The Hindu (India) - Could the U.K. and Kuwait be given a little slice of that Iraqi pie?

POWs - What To Do With Them?, WTOL.com - Captured Iraqi soldiers might be considered a lock-'em-up and done deal, but that could just be the beginning of the problem.

Consider the issue of Iraq from all perspectives, The Barbados Advocate - An assessment of tyranny from a non-U.S. viewpoint.

The naval battle within the war, United Press International - The air and land campaigns have been getting all the focus, but what's going on in the sea?

The monster slain by optimism, The Globe and Mail (Canada) - Saddam's overconfidence could be his undoing, but as allied forces close in on Baghdad, it's where he could be at his most dangerous.

Mundane Impressions of Otherwise "Brutal Iraq", Rediff.com (India) - Could the Western media be painting a skewed picture of Iraq?