BURSTING THE BUBBLE
After quick hit-and-run ventures yesterday, the invasion of Baghdad has begun in earnest, with tanks rolling into southern suburbs of the city and allied soldiers engaging in building-to-building fighting.

Thousands of Iraqi residents are fleeing the city, creating some chaos and confusion: Russian diplomatic envoys leaving Baghdad were attacked, with several wounded. It was not clear who fired upon them, and the incident is under investigation by U.S. and British officials.

Further away from the city, another friendly fire incident has killed U.S. and Kurdish soldiers. Reportedly, an American warplane mistakenly targeted a convoy of vehicles in Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq. The final casualty count is not known, but reporters on the scene say at least ten people are dead.

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The footsteps factor, The Daily Camera - This writer gets psychoanalytical with the Presidents Bush; are there deep-rooted, subconscious motivations for W. to go after an arch-nemesis shared with his father?

Exclusive: An Anglo-American Miscalculation!, Arab News (Saudi Arabia) - A fascinating op-ed piece outlining why all the mistakes the U.S. has made will result in its military slinking out of Iraq.

A very Roman lesson for today, The Guardian (UK) - The U.S. military moves with all the speed, daring and ferocity of the ancient Romans, writes this commentator, and like the intimidating legions of old, much of the world fears and distrusts America as well.

Once Baghdad's surrounded, the tricky part begins, Toronto Star - This military strategist outlines the two things General Tommy Franks will want to have in place before getting serious about taking over Baghdad.

Why has there been no word from Osama bin Laden?, Hindustan Times (India) - The silence from the world's #1 terrorist is deafening, and this editor explores the possibilities.

AIRPORT TAKEOVER
Baghdad International Airport, nine miles outside of the capital, is now in the hands of the coalition after an all-out assault overnight. Reportedly, more than 300 Iraqi troops were killed in fierce fighting that saw the destruction of at least five enemy tanks. The airport will become a crucial staging area for the final push towards Baghdad, as well as an important entry point for supplies.

In western Iraq, three more allied soldiers fell victim to another suicide attack when a car exploded at a coalition checkpoint, also killing a pregnant Iraqi woman and the car's driver. Iraqi Information Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf has hinted at additional suicide attacks, threatening more "martyrdom" tactics from non-military personnel.

Now that allied troops are knocking on Baghdad's door, U.S. officials are intimating that plans for a post-war government are already in the works. The Pentagon, in fact, is even weighing the option of encircling Baghdad, cutting it off and waiting it out, instead of risking dangerous urban combat.





An Iraqi woman returns with her belongings back to the suburbs of Iraqi's southern city of Basra, Friday, April 4, 2003. British forces moved closer to the city center Friday and supplied the suburbs of Basra with drinking water. (Associated Press)

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Where is Salam Pax? Iraq's Web writer has disappeared, Sacramento Bee - Blog fanatics all across cyberspace wait and wonder about the fate of this popular webmaster who offers a fascinating glimpse inside Baghdad on his Web site.

Iraq's Mysterious Strategy, Newsday - In this military chess match, is Iraq trying to draw allied troops in, or is their defense infrastructure simply collapsing?

Good winners, good losers: Postwar Iraq, Asia Times - Does post-World War II Japan serve as a good model for trying to rebuild Iraq?

Saving America From The Extremists, Dar Al-Hayat - Bush and Hussein should end this immediately, and here's how they should do it, proposes this commentator.

ON THE HORIZON
The brass ring is finally in sight: members of the Army's 3rd Infantry Division can see Baghdad with the naked eye as they approach nine miles south of the capital city. The advancing column has blitzed through the Republican Guard's elite Medina and Hammurabi divisions, softened up considerably by coalition air strikes.

Iraqi air defenses, however, continue to take their toll on allied warplanes, bringing down a U.S. F/A-18 Hornet and Black Hawk helicopter. The fate of the Hornet pilot is still unknown, while up to seven soldiers are believed dead from the chopper crash.


A Guided Bomb Unit GBU-31 2000, foreground, sits on the flight deck of the USS Harry S. Truman while an EA-6B Prowler takes off for a strike operation over Iraq, Thursday, April 3, 2003. The aircraft carrier is conducting missions in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. (Associated Press)

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A Message for Conservatives, MountShastaLive.com - A liberal commentator takes the inflammatory right wing to task.

Northern Iraq -- another Bosnia?, UPI - Could the Turks and Kurds become the new Serbs and Croats?

Arab Historian Says Iraqi Pride, Skepticism Of U.S. Intentions, Fueling Resistance, Radio Free Europe - A Middle East expert explores the Iraqi identity and how it factors into the war.

After Iraq, the world, ABS-CBN News (Philippines) - "Iraqi liberation" or "U.S. imperialism"?

Postwar Iraq, back to the future, UPI - Will post-war reconstruction in Iraq be a repeat of history?

Dangerous Hubris, AlterNet.org - America's overconfidence was exposed within the first few days of the war, says this writer.

ONE OF OURS
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)

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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.

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)

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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)

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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.

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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.