Iraq hits back at allies

COALITION forces suffered setbacks in southern Iraq yesterday despite moving within 50 miles of Baghdad.

Guerrilla tactics by Saddam Hussein’s dispersed troops re-engaged troops in the south, challenging coalition claims of advances in the area.

Iraqi TV last night showed two men believed to be US Apache helicopter pilots. The two American airmen were missing in action after their helicopter went down during an assault on Iraqi Republican guards 50 miles south of Iraq.

Iraqi resistance continued in the southern port town of Umm Qasr and on the northern edge of the Al Faw peninsula last night, almost four days after coalition forces claimed to have taken both the town and peninsula.

The allies faced stiff resistance in Basra, Iraq’s second largest city, after claims last Friday theyalition forces were at the gates of the city and on the verge of besieging it.

Saddam Hussein’s strategy appears designed to allows coalition forces to advance quickly and over-extend their line only to be attacked from the rear.

US Secretary of State Colin Powell last night claimed Saddam had authorised the use of chemical weapons against Shi’ite muslims in the south of Iraq. Mr Powell claimed Saddam’s cousin, “Chemical Ali”, had been given the go-ahead to use chemical weapons. The intention is to blame coalition forces for the attacks.

US and British officials said yesterday Hussein was using guerrilla tactics to slow the coalition advance, putting elite fighters in civilian clothes, conning US troops with fake surrenders and employing human shields.

In two episodes on Sunday near Nassiriya, Iraqi forces deceived Americans into believing they were surrendering or otherwise welcoming them. In the first incident 10 Americans were killed, while 12 US soldiers remain missing in action from the second incident.

The ground war continued on five fronts last night: Nassiriya, Umm Qasr, the Shi’ite holy city of Najaf, Basra and Kurd-controlled Northern Iraq.

Air Strikes continued on Baghdad and the northern cities of Mosul, Kirkuk, Chamchamal, and Sulaymaniyah. By late afternoon, the US Army’s 3rd Infantry Division was moving on Karbala, 50 miles south of the Iraqi capital, but was stalled by a sandstorm.

The coalition forces expected the Shi’ite Muslims in southern Iraq to surrender as they are believed to hate Saddam. However, coalition forces, in particular the British Desert Rats around Basra, were hit by stiff resistance with some forced to withdraw.

Captain Patrick Trueman of the Scots Dragoon Guards said a lot of thinking had to be done before another attempt to clear Basra is made.

Oil prices surged after resistance by Iraqi troops raised fears the war might take longer than anticipated.