March 27, 2003
www.iraqwar.ru
The IRAQWAR.RU analytical
center was created recently by a group of journalists
and military experts from Russia to provide accurate
and up-to-date news and analysis of the war against
Iraq. The following is the English translation of the
IRAQWAR.RU report based on the Russian military intelligence
reports.
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March
27, 2003, 2321hrs MSK (GMT +3), Moscow (UPDATE) - Intercepted
radio communications indicate that tomorrow we should
expect a powerful attack by the coalition. During all
day today the coalition troops were being reinforced
and fully resupplied with fuel and ammunition. Additional
units
reserved for maintaining security along the Kuwaiti border
were moved today to the front lines. The total number
of additional [coalition] forces to enter Iraq numbers
up
to five battalions and around 800 combat vehicles.
By
1600hrs today the sand storm in Iraq has subsided allowing
coalition to resume helicopter support of ground troops.
At the same time the Iraqi positions were attacked by
bombers
and ground attack aircraft, which forced the Iraqis to
cease their attacks and to resume defensive operations.
Available
information suggests that the coalition command, despite
of the extreme exhaustion of its troops, will attempt
to use elements of the 3rd Mechanized Infantry Division
to actively contain the Iraqi forces around Karabela
and to reach the strategic Al-Falludja highway by moving
from the west around the Razzaza lake, thus cutting off
the way to Jordan. It is expected that by noon of March
29 the main coalition forces will reach this area.
During
the night from March 29 to March 30 elements of the US
82nd Airborne Division aided by the Army Special Operations
units may attempt to capture the Saddam Hussein Airport.
Immediately following the capture of the airport the
coalition plans to use it for the deployment of a brigade
from the 101st Airborne Division, which will be responsible
for holding the airport until the arrival of the main
forces.
Commanders
of the reinforced Marine brigade trying to take An-Nasiriya
for the fourth day have received strict orders to suppress
the Iraqi defenses and to take the town during the next
day, after which to continue their advance toward Al-Kut
and
Al-Ammara.
Similarly strict orders were received by the command
of the brigade attacking An-Najaf. They will have to
take this town, widen the staging area on the left bank
of the Euphrates and push the Iraqis away from the town.
By the morning of March 29 both these brigades are supposed
join up southwest of Al-Kut, where they will be
reinforced by the elements of the 101st Airborne Division
and, after forming a southern attack line, they would
blockade Baghdad from the south.
The
British command has been ordered to completely take over
the Fao peninsula, complete the blockade of Basra from
the south and to completely take over the [Basra] airport
area. After that the British are to advance toward Basra
from the south along the Al-Arab river.
Based
on this information to say that tomorrow we should expect
heated combat would be an understatement.
(source: iraqwar.ru,
03-27-03, translated by Venik)
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