Under fire on the road to capital

THERE'S a tank on fire. It's an M1, an American tank," Fox News reporter Greg Kelly said.

Broadcasting live to the world by video phone mounted on the front of a US armoured troop carrier, the American journalist gave a graphic illustration of the occasionally desperate rearguard defence the advancing allied troops are facing on the approach to Baghdad.

Kelly, whose despatch was broadcast on Sky News in Britain, gave a remarkable view live from inside Saddam Hussein's "red zone" as the armoured column of Abrams tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles came under small arms fire on their way to the decisive fight for the Iraqi capital.

As images of a Bradley with its crew of three, carrying six foot soldiers, moved through a featureless Iraqi landscape, he told how the 2nd Brigade combat team had crossed the Euphrates a couple of hours earlier on the road north from Karbala and was now less than 20 miles from Baghdad.

Broadcasting shortly after 10am UK time, Kelly's pictures revealed burned-out civilian vehicles lying charred at the roadside every few hundred yards.

He told viewers: "Paramilitary forces are using suicide tactics against the convoy as hopelessly outgunned Iraqis have been driving at the US convoy in civilian vehicles with mounted machineguns.

"A blue Sedan vehicle with a machinegun mounted on it charged right at a Bradley fighting vehicle, travelling at 70 or 80 miles per hour - it was stopped in its tracks 200 metres away after coming under heavy machinegun fire."

Speaking as the convoy advanced, his flow was interrupted when he saw the vivid orange flames ahead: "There's a tank on fire," he cried.

Then, as the Bradley troop transporter he was riding in came alongside, he said: "It's an M1, an American tank.

"The tank, which is protected by steelencased depleted uranium armour, is billowing flames from its turret. It is likely to have taken a direct hit from a rocket propelled grenade." It is not clear whether the four-man crew were able to escape.

Military sources confirmed that the blazing vehicle is only the third battle tank of its kind to have been lost since they were introduced to service in the last Gulf war. In the 1991 conflict, 18 earlier models suffered battle damage and nine were permanently lost.

Asked to describe the mood now that they had entered Saddam's "red zone", Kelly said: "The mood?

"People are pretty excited to be this close to Baghdad, but also pretty focused on taking care of this enemy contact we are encountering right now."

He added: "The troops are all wearing chemical protection suits and have been advised to keep gas masks at their side and wear protective boots or have them close to hand in their vehicles."

The convoy, part of the US 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanised), was coming from the direction of Karbala, south west of Baghdad, the city which was encircled yesterday.

He said: "They are sending a message that they were in Saddam's back yard, not afraid to mix it up in an urban area."

AS he spoke, the Bradley in convoy behind him unleashed a succession of rounds from its 25mm chain gun in response to light arms fire coming from a position to the right of the road, which seemed to be passing through areas of scrubland.

The 3rd Infantry specialises in desert warfare and many of its senior soldiers are veterans of the Gulf War of 1991, when 6,000 of the division's troops were involved.

This time the 3rd Infantry has 17,000 troops in the region and has always known it would play a leading role in toppling Saddam.

In January, while his troops were on manoeuvres in the Kuwaiti desert, commander Colonel David Perkins disclosed that his troops would be "the tip of the spear" in any attack on Saddam. Today, they were fulfilling their destiny.

Copyright 2003
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