U.S. girds for real battle in north

V CORPS ASSAULT COMMAND POST, near NAJAF, Iraq -- U.S. forces on Sunday night began the battle for the "Red Zone," the area around Baghdad that is defended by Iraq's Republican Guard and one of the most treacherous regions of the country for the allied forces.

The strikes Sunday night by Army attack helicopters and Army ATAMCS surface-surface missiles represent the first U.S. ground attacks on the Republican Guards. The aim was to soften up the Medina division, one of the three Guard divisions that guard the approaches to Baghdad. The American firepower was intense, but the U.S. forces did not emerge unscathed. One pilot was wounded but managed to fly back.

The assault underscored the risks of a war that began with lightning speed and which is now approaching its most critical phase. Optimistic statements may have created expectations in Washington and elsewhere that this war would be swift and relatively casualty free. But now that the military has raced toward central Iraq, U.S. forces are girding for real battle.

"This is going to be a fight, not a one-day campaign," a senior military officer said. "Air is central, but it did not break his back inside of Baghdad."

And now there are dangers to the rear, too. U.S. forces have been attacked by the fedayeen, militia that are under the command of Saddam Hussein's son Uday. The militia has begun attacks in the south to try to slow the U.S. troops and supply columns.

The first few days were intense, but perhaps the easiest part of a complex war. Many of the Iraqi soldiers the allies confronted were ill-motivated and ill-trained. Some surrendered, and many simply vanished. Even so, some of the celebrated capitulations have turned out to be less than advertised. U.S. officials were quick to announce the surrender of the commander of the 51st Division. On Sunday, they discovered that the "commander" was actually a junior officer masquerading as a higher-up.

The thunderous airstrikes in Baghdad have no doubt taken a toll on the Iraqi military, but they have not destroyed its ability to direct its forces, according to senior U.S. military officials.

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