-->Dazu folgender ernüchternder Tatsachenbericht:
This is the report from http://www.iraqwar.ru from this morning translated with the aid of http://www.translate.ru
The situation as of the morning of March, 24 is characterized by the certain calm on all directions. Offensive groups of the coalition were involved in positional fights, have lost offensive rate, have exhausted and require urgent resupply of petroleum products, ammunition, repair and reinforcements. Iraqis are also regrouping their forces, reinforcing the units that participated in fights, and preparing new areas of defense.
Fights under An_Nassiriya, proceeding during almost two days, had extremely fierce character. Both sides used plenty of tanks and artillery. Americans had 20 thousand soldiers and officers of a shock unit of 3-rd motor-infantry division and a brigade of marines with more than 200 tanks, 600 armored troop-carrier, ÁÌÏ and 150 cannons. Iraqis had up to 40 thousand troops of 3-rd army, up to 250 tanks, more than 100 cannons, up to 100 mortars and up to 1000 bazookaz and anti-tank weapons. Two-day battle was finished practicaly without any results.
Americans could not at once seize An Nassiriya, then they made an attempt to bypass the city from the west, but have encountered powerful layered Iraqi defenses and then were forced to retreat. Iraqis took advantage of this confusion of the opponent and forces of two brigades attacked the flank of Americans. The attack crumpled Americans positioning and has caused a panic in theor rear. The American command had to stop the advance of the armies on An Najaf to divert from there some tank battalions and to redirect them to aid the attacked units. It took Americans almost six hours to block the Iraqi counterstrike and to restore the fighting positions.
For past day the aircraft of allies has executed more than 2000 sorties to support of armies in this area." Thank God, that we dominate in air!" - colonel Tomas Uoldhauser in private conversation told CNN. The correspondent has quoted these words of the general { My note - colonel suddenly turned into a general!} in the telephone conversation with the editors. The conversation was intercepted.
Also, according to radio intercepts, in fights under An-Nassiriya Americans have lost up to 40 person killed, up to 10 captured and up to 200 wounded.
Also they lost one helicopter (confirmed) and one attack helicopter (presumably), up to 40 armoured vehicles, including at least 10 tanks. Several times commanders reported that their units can not advance because their soldiers are demoralized by fierce resistance of the opponent and the big losses.
Four day of continuous advance have exhausted armies of the coalition and now practically on all directions they went to defense for a regrouping of rest and reinforcements. As of this morning the coalition controls the western part of An-Nassiriya, but have no piece of land on the left coast of Euphrates. Iraqis are
defending the left coast of Euphrates and will carry out engineering works to strengthen the defenses. Some Iraqi forces moved along the left coast of Euphrates to An-Njafa where they expect the next allied offensive.
About 23.00 last night near Basra Iraqi special forces attacked the column of the company of Englishmen. After powerful fire assault Iraqis attacked Englishmen and in close combat burned some more armored vehicles. After withdrawal of Iraqis the English commander has reported on eight killed, two disappeared and more than about thirty wounded soldiers. So, Iraqis put out of commission more than 30 % of the company. To a place of fight the reinforcement and medical helicopters were urgently sent.
In general, over last 24 hours attacks on coalition forces from the rear intensified.
Interceptions indicate at least five bombardments of the columns, eight hits on mines and two ambushes. Divisions of Iraqi special forces mine roads, arrange ambushes, conduct search and reconnaisance. Coalition forces were ordered to stop any movement of army columns after dark and to include fighting units in each rear column and covering it from air.
Till now the situation around the border city of Umm - Kasr is not clear. According to radiointerception and to pictures from space during all night the city was exposed to practically continuous bombardment. Shots taken in the morning indicate its almost complete destruction. All this testifies that persistent resistance of Iraqis has enraged the command of the coalition and it ordered simply to demolish this city using aircraft and artillery. But, from reports of Englishmen which have been ordered to secure Umm - Kasr, there are still areas of resistance in the city. Under Umm - Kasrom for past four days allies lost up to 40 killed and up to 200 wounded. To estimate Iraqi losses is not possible now, but Umm-Kasr's garrison had up to 1600 soldiers and officers.
English marines could not establish the full control over strategic peninsula of Fao. After yesterday's Iraqi counterattack the English marines retreated by 3-5 kms. Also they were compelled to dig in. The data of radiointerception allow to draw a conclusion that today the English command will try to return the lost positions.
At night they were reinforced with up to two battalions. In total on peninsula over four days Englishmen have lost up to 15 person killed and up to 100 wounded. Iraqis have lost here up to 100 person killed, about(near) 100 captured.
Near Basra active combat proceeds. Allies do not dare to enter the city and are limited to its constant bombardment and continuous bombing. They did not yet succeed in closing the ring of its blockade and to cut off its garrison from communication (connection) with the rest of Iraqi forces.
In the north of Iraq in areas controllable by Kurds landing of the American armies which should make northern shock grouping continues. It is supposed, that already to tomorrow's morning these units strengthened with Kurdish groups will try to seize the city of Kirkuk.
All night bombing of Iraq proceeded with about 1500 ssorties. In addition B-52 bombers executed more than 100 launches of cruise missiles from so-called" a turkish corridor". And up to 150 launches were made from US and British ships.
According to radiointerception today early in the morning the coalition lost an unmanned plane such as"Predator".
In the next 8-12 hours continuation of the advance of the coalition is improbable. Since early morning in the coalition command center in Qatar there is a meeting where, it is supposed, serious changes will be made in the plan of operation. In the opinion of the majority of experts the American military command has committed the most serious strategic mistake, having started the ground invasion practically simultaneously with the beginning of war. Americans have violated their own requirements and manuals in which ground invasion should start after a period of continuos bombing..
Americans arrogantly under-estimated the fighting capacity of the Iraqi army. American military intelligence and CIA could not expose the real situation and misinformed the supreme military and political leeadership of the countries of a coalition.
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