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Iraq says airport retaken { April 5 2003 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)    http://asia.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=focusIraqNews&storyID=2513219 http://asia.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=focusIraqNews&storyID=2513219 Iraq Says All 'OK' in Baghdad, Airport Retaken Sat April 05, 2003 07:05 AM ET By Hassan Hafidh BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's information minister said on Saturday Baghdad was firmly under Iraqi control and denied U.S. reports that troops had reached the center of the capital. Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf also said Iraqi forces had recaptured Baghdad's international airport, seized by U.S. troops on Friday. The U.S. military dismissed his claim as "groundless." Asked about U.S. reports that troops were in the heart of the capital, Sahaf told a news conference: "You can go and visit those places. Nothing there, nothing there at all. There are Iraqi checkpoints. Everything is okay." Reuters correspondent Khaled Yacoub Oweis said he toured central and southern Baghdad on Saturday but saw no U.S. troops. "I went to the southern outskirts, south east, south west, the presidential palaces, the main security buildings," Oweis said after driving around the city. "I saw no American troops." Earlier, a U.S. military spokesman said U.S. forces had thrust into the heart of Baghdad and said the push was "more than a patrol that goes in and comes back out." At Central Command headquarters in Qatar, senior U.S. spokesman Captain Frank Thorp told CNN that Iraq's claim to have retaken the airport was "quite frankly groundless." "We still do have troops on the ground at the airport. There's sporadic fighting," Thorp added. Earlier, U.S. military sources said their forces came under heavy Iraqi artillery fire from north of the airport. The Iraqi military said in a statement that "hundreds" of U.S. troops had been killed in the battle for Baghdad airport. "The enemy was forced to retreat suffering hundreds of casualties and Saddam International Airport has been changed to a graveyard for the invaders," it said in a statement. U.S. equipment was destroyed by Iraqi artillery, it added. "WICKED ASSAULT" In a separate statement, the Iraqi military said it had also foiled an attack on central Baghdad by the invading troops. "The enemy tried to attack Baghdad and our brave forces were able to foil the attack," he said. "The enemy has gained nothing by his wicked assault." A convoy of Iraqi policemen and civilians passed near a hotel where many journalists were staying in central Baghdad, cheering and shooting guns into the air to celebrate the alleged recapture of the airport by Iraqi forces, witnesses said. Sahaf said U.S. forces had bombed the capital and tried to make airborne landings to divert attention from a battle for Baghdad's airport. He also said that Iraqi forces had shot down a plane over Iraq and destroyed seven tanks in the southern city of Basra in the past 24 hours. "Now the entire direction is in our favor and we will annihilate what is left of the forces that attacked the airport," Sahaf said. "We have defeated them, crushed them in Saddam International Airport. We have pushed them outside the whole area. They couldn't establish a gain, we are surrounding them." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- © Copyright Reuters 2002. All rights reserved. Any copying, re-publication or re-distribution of Reuters content or of any content used on this site, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without prior written consent of Reuters. Quotes and other data are provided for your personal information only, and are not intended for trading purposes. Reuters, the members of its Group and its data providers shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the quotes or other data, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. © Reuters 2002. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by caching, framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world. Close This Window

Ambassador disproves troops entered baghdad Coalition might pause before baghdad Conflicting reports Iraq denies us entered baghdad { April 5 2003 } Iraq says airport retaken { April 5 2003 } No us troops seen Pause is ordered { April 4 2003 } Progress war of words Resistance near baghdad { April 4 2003 } Weary troops end elusive { April 5 2003 } Files Listed: 10

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