NewsMine — war-on-terror — iraq — 2003-invasion — south-advance — before-baghdad — Viewing Item

No us troops seen Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)    http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L0599881.htm http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L0599881.htm 05 Apr 2003 10:51:54 GMT No U.S. troops seen in Reuters tour of Baghdad; -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Updates with background, quotes) BAGHDAD, April 5 (Reuters) - No U.S. troops were visible in a tour of central and southern Baghdad on Saturday after a U.S. military spokesman said U.S. forces had pushed into the heart of the Iraqi capital, a Reuters witness said. "I went to the southern outskirts, south east, south west, the presidential palaces, the main security buildings," correspondent Khaled Yacoub Oweis said after driving around part of the capital of five million people. "I saw no American troops." He said that he saw Iraqi soldiers and paramilitaries on the streets preparing for war in the city 17 days into a U.S.-led invasion from the south. Heavy artillery fire could be heard. Earlier, a U.S. military spokesman said that 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". "We do now have troops in the city of Baghdad...they're in the middle of the city of Baghdad," Captain Frank Thorp told Reuters at Central Command in Qatar. "We will continue to move." U.S. forces also said that more than 20 battle tanks drove up the main highway into the outskirts of Baghdad and then swung out again to join other U.S. forces at the airport, 20 km (12 miles) southwest of the centre. Iraqi Information Minister Mohammed Saeef al-Sahaf told a regular daily news conference in central Baghdad on Saturday that Iraqi forces were firmly in control of the city. "You can go and visit those places," he said, asked about the reports of a U.S. advance. "Nothing there, nothing there at all. There are Iraqi checkpoints. Everything is okay." He also said that Iraq had ousted U.S. forces from the airport, which U.S. forces say they captured on Friday. He said that U.S.-led forces had tried to make airborne landings in the capital to divert attention from that battle. "Today they staged a huge drama to lessen the pressure on their forces around the airport," he said. "They did everything crazy."

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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