EYES ON THE NORTH
While the turn of events in Baghdad have been fairly stunning, pockets of resistance in the capital city continue to make things dicey for allied ground troops. U.S. Marines are engaged in heavy firefights at a mosque, a government palace, and the house of a Baath Party leader. One soldier has been killed, and up to 20 injured.

Another suicide attack has also taken its toll: a man with explosives strapped to his waist approached a military checkpoint and blew himself up. There are conflicting reports whether U.S. Marines manning the station were only injured, or whether fatalities occurred.

Most of the coalition's attention, however, now turns to cities in the north that are still unsecured. Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's home town, could end up being a flashpoint of the war. In oil-rich Kirkuk, Kurdish fighters overran the town, driving through the streets waving Kurdish flags while residents looted government offices. Kurdish military leaders also report they have seized the border town of Khanaqin.


Kurdish fighters celebrate as they parade along the streets of the strategic town of Khanaqin on the Iranian border in northern Iraq, after sweeping unopposed through the town following the withdrawal of the Iraqi army and joining up with U.S. forces, Thursday, April 10, 2003. (Associated Press)

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

---

Awake after a long, dark night, Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) - A man-in-the-street account of how Iraqi citizens in Baghdad are reacting, from unbridled joy to deep skepticism.

Saddam Hussein Is Toppled, But Where Is He?, Radio Free Europe - Exploring all the different avenues of escape Saddam may have taken.

Why Kirkuk is key, BBC - Could Kirkuk be the second-most important city in Iraq?

Decoding Iraq's symbols of celebration, BBC - A fascinating breakdown of Iraqi gestures, actions and what they mean. What's the significance of hitting with shoes, anyway?

What Lurks in the Ruins?, AlterNet.org - Are the fragments of Iraqi culture and politics just too complicated to mold into a democracy?

Happiest Day of My Life as Saddam Falls, Plymouth Evening Herald - An Iraqi-American teenager gives voice to his feelings about the Hussein regime.

BAGHDAD FALLEN?
This day marks an important turning point in the battle for Baghdad as the reaction of Iraqi citizens becomes an indicator of how much Saddam Hussein's control in the capital city is crumbling. People are lining the streets welcoming coalition troops with cheers, looting stores and attacking symbols of Hussein's government. Iraqi state television has gone off the air, and Iraqi employees who monitor foreign journalists have not shown up for work.

President Bush and allied officials, however, warn that the task is far from over: it is believed Hussein may have escaped the withering air strikes that targeted his location Monday, and could be making his last stand in his home town of Tikrit.


Jubilant Iraqis tied a noose around a huge statue of Saddam Hussein in the heart of Baghdad, pulling it down and pelting it with shoes as the Iraqi president's 24-year rule collapsed in chaos. (Reuters)




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

---

Picturing the End, Artuz Sheva (Israel) - Saddam Hussein, like Adolf Hitler, may be holed up in an Iraqi bunker somewhere, waiting for the inevitable.

Boycotts and bad acts, The Sentinel - The U.S. says it's "liberating" Iraqi citizens which is all well and good, says this editor, but who watches the watchmen?

Saddam-Chirac: A 30-year liaison, UPI - Just how deep do France's ulterior motives run?

They're Baaaaaack!, New York Post - A much more... colorful dismantling of France and other members of the "Axis of Weasel."

Once an economic dynamo, Iraq is now financial riddle, Knoxville News Sentinel - How can you rebuild a nation's economy if you don't have all the facts?

TARGET: SADDAM
For the second time in this war, the allies try to pinpoint Saddam Hussein's location and take out the dictator once and for all. Acting on hot intelligence late yesterday, a U.S. B-1 bomber dropped two JDAMs and two "bunker-busters" on a building where Hussein was reportedly meeting with his sons and other leaders. It's not known yet whether the strike was successful; rescue workers will have to sift through the rubble and may have to test remains to determine if the Iraqi president was killed.

Meanwhile, coalition air and ground troops continue pounding Iraqi positions in Baghdad with artillery shells and bombs, and expanding their area of control. On the eastern outskirts of the city, U.S. Marines have secured the Rashid airfield, making it the second air base to be seized after swarming Baghdad International Airport days before.

Testing of suspected chemical weapons is still ongoing, according to military officials. To date there have been four locations where chemical agents were discovered; barrels found in Hindiya have been conclusively ruled out as WMD. Barrels in Najaf, warheads near Baghdad International Airport, and containers found on an Iraqi personnel carrier are still in the process of being tested.


U.S. Marines of the 3rd batallion, 4th regiment, take position while securing a main road leading into Baghdad on the southeast outskirts of the Iraqi capital, Tuesday, April 8, 2003. (Associated Press)

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

---

Will Iraq Be 'Free' Like Kuwait?, Salt Lake Tribune - There's "freedom," and then there's freedom, says this commentator.

Bush's Alderaan, The Consortium - Is George Bush akin to Darth Vader, and Iraq his Alderaan?

Peaceful solutions not effective in Iraq, The Stanford Daily - This Stanford senior proposes that true leadership sometimes means doing the unpopular thing.

How the media changed, UPI - People outside Iraq may accuse embedded journalists of losing objectivity, but an inside account from Martin Walker describes newfound appreciation and respect for the men and women of the coalition's armed forces.

Revenge waits in the wings, Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) - The Kurds in northern Iraq are chomping at the bit for regime change, and for good reason.

War and recriminations, WorkingForChange.com - "A brief guide to the coming finger-pointing on Iraq."

STEAMROLLING THROUGH
Armored divisions continue battling their way through the streets of Baghdad, driving towards the heart of the city. Saddam Hussein's main presidential palace is now under coalition occupation, the images broadcast around the world. Tanks are also rolling through Baghdad's main parade grounds, and a 40-foot statue of Saddam Hussein was blown up.

Incredibly, Iraqi government mouthpieces continue insisting they are inflicting heavy casualties on U.S. forces, and that no sign of occupation can be seen.

The fighting is not without allied losses, to be sure: an Iraqi missile strike targeting a U.S. Army tactical center south of Baghdad killed two soldiers, two journalists, and wounded 15 others.

Even further to the south in Basra, British officials claim the body of Saddam Hussein's cousin, "Chemical Ali," has been found in his home after being hit with two laser-guided missiles.

Back closer to the capital, the first U.S. cargo plane has landed at Baghdad International Airport, symbolically significant for an airfield that will become an important staging area and supply line center.


An Iraqi man pushes a cart loaded with his children past a U.S. military check point in Nasiriyah, southern Iraq, on Monday, April 7, 2003. (Associated Press)

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

---

How Baghdad's jet set lived, Toronto Star - An inside peek at Baghdad International Airport's opulent VIP lounges.

How the US plans to take control of Baghdad, Christian Science Monitor - An exploration of urban warfare throughout history, outlining two basic methods of attacking a city.

The Emperor's new clothes, Rediff.com (India) - This commentator calls the allied propaganda as he sees it.

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.

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

---

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)

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

---

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)

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

---

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)

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.

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

---

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

---

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?