DJ US Troops May Meet No Serious Resistance Until Baghdad-TV
2003-03-19
DJ US Troops May Meet No Serious Resistance Until Baghdad-TV
NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--U.S. officials say so many Iraqi Army units seem ready to surrender it is possible American ground forces will encounter no serious resistance until they come up against the divisions defending Baghdad, CBS News reported Tuesday.
The ground war is likely to begin within hours of the start of air attacks because there will be no need for four or five days of bombing before the major invasion force goes in, CBS News said.
According to the report, U.S. officials believe the closer American troops get to Baghdad the more likely they are to encounter units with chemical weapons.
Senior Iraqi officials intend to ride out the war not in underground shelters but in private homes, which should be safe from U.S. air attacks because of American efforts to hold down civilian casualties, CBS News reported.
-By Larry McCoy, Dow Jones Newswires; 201-938-4378; hbsglobaldesk@dowjones.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
19-03-03 0004GMT
