WORLD NEWS

 

  March 20, 2003

 

Troops are on the Attack in Iraq

 

The military mission to remove Saddam Hussein from power is under way

 

The first two days of the U.S.-led war against Iraq focused on the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, where Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and his top advisers were thought to have gathered. U.S. military leaders made it clear that the mission has only begun. "We have a serious task before us to remove that regime," Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld told reporters at the Pentagon on Thursday. "This is a process that takes some time."

 

Elsewhere in Iraq, U.S. ground troops fired on Iraqi troops near Iraq's southern border with Kuwait. Military officials confirmed that the 300,000 troops are launching a large-scale invasion of Iraq.

 

There were reports that three or four Iraqi oil wells had been set on fire near Basra, the nation's southern oil center. In the 1991 Persian Gulf War, Iraq set oil wells in Kuwait on fire so that they could not produce oil. Officials have been worried that Saddam Hussein might order his own oil wells set on fire so that no one else could have the oil that they produce.

 

Rumsfeld said he had heard the reports about setting fire to oil wells. "Needless to say, it is a crime for that regime to be destroying the riches of the Iraqi people," he said.

 

How the Battle Began

 

Wednesday night, after reports of explosions in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, President George W. Bush addressed the nation from the White House. His announcement was no surprise: the war against Iraq had begun.

 

"These are the opening stages of what will be a broad and concerted campaign," Bush told the nation. The mission to disarm the country and remove Saddam Hussein from power "could be longer and more difficult than some predict," said Bush. The first missile strikes were reportedly aimed at Saddam Hussein, and his top advisers. U.S. military leaders received word that the leaders were gathering in Baghdad. A presidential palace and Iraq's Ministry of Planning were among the buildings hit. Iraq claimed that the buildings were empty.

 

Soon after the first missile strikes on Baghdad, Saddam Hussein appeared on Iraqi television to address his nation and encourage Iraqis to fight back. Some experts, however, believe that the person who appeared was actually a double for Saddam, who is known to use a handful of look-alikes to protect himself. After examining a videotape, U.S. officials concluded that it was most likely Saddam Hussein and not a double.

 

Extra Security at Home

 

In the U.S., state and local law enforcement groups took extra precautions against terror attacks. Police officers and some National Guard troops patrolled bridges, transportation systems and other sites. In New York City and Washington, D.C., where terrorists struck on September 11, 2001, the safety precautions were extraordinary. In Washington, officials canceled the annual marathon race, which was planned for Sunday, because of security concerns.

 

Even though some Americans are nervous about the war's outcome, recent surveys show that a majority are in favor of the attacks. A CNN-USA Today-Gallup poll released Monday said the American public, by a 2-1 margin, generally supports military action against Iraq to remove Saddam.

 

Julie Samples of Georgia, whose husband is serving in the war, expressed the hopes of many Americans: that the war end as soon as possible. "I'm praying that God will just protect them and keep them safe and they'll just do their job and hurry home," she said.

 

http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/news/story/0,6260,435274,00.html