Debka reports invasion

[David Farber <farber () tmail com>]

-----Original Message-----
From: Albert L. Lukaszewski <all1 () st-and ac uk>
To: Dave Farber <dave () farber net>
Subject: Debka reports invasion
Date: Wed, 19 Mar 2003 14:01:55 +0000

Dear Dave,

I thought IPers might be interest to know that, according to
Debka.com, the invasion has begun:

HEADLINES

US warplanes taking off from the USS Abraham Lincoln are bombing Iraqi 
military targets along the US-UK line of advance.

DEBKAfile exclusive: Kurdish sources confirm that Iraqi deputy prime 
minister Tareq Aziz is in their hands and is being questioned by US 
intelligence officials.

Earlier, as American and British forces began invasion of Iraq, 
DEBKAfile?s military sources reported persistent rumor that two leading 
powerbrokers of Saddam?s regime had fled Baghdad: deputy prime minister 
Tareq Aziz, who is thought to be hiding in Kurdistan in northern Iraq, 
and vice president Taha Yassin Ramadan who has not been seen for three 
days.

The invasion has begun with the advance of US Marines and British 1st 
Armored Division into Iraq in the direction of southern key naval port 
of of Umm Qasr. A second column of US 3rd Infantry Division troops 
crossed into the demilitarized zone on Iraqi border with Kuwait, with 
thousands of tanks, combat vehicles and fuel trucks

Hundreds of Iraqi officers and soldiers are reported streaming to the 
Turkomen town of Tozkhurmato south of Kirkuk and turning themselves in

Arafat formally appoints deputy Mahmoud Abbas aka Abu Mazen first 
Palestinian prime minister with 5 weeks to form cabinet.

Washington not happy with measure of authority Arafat shares with PM. He 
retains overall command of Palestinian security forces and final say on 
peacemaking with Israel

Israel has completed call-up of 12,000 reservists, some for special 
deployment on northern frontier with Lebanon and Syria. Tuesday, 
population was advised to keep gas mask kits close at all times. 
Deployment of anti-air Patriot missiles completed Tuesday.

Iraqi parliament speaker Hamadi says it is ?unthinkable? for Saddam 
Hussein to leave. He was speaking after session during which Saudi 
Arabia made formal appeal to Iraqi ruler to go and avert war.

Egyptian ruler Mubarak holds Saddam responsible for crisis.

Blair wins parliamentary backing for sending British forces into battle 
in Iraq in two votes - despite major revolt in his Labor party.

British Airways halts flights from Israel from Wednesday night. Most 
other foreign airlines expected to follow suit.

Three suspected terrorists arrested in London Wednesday after police 
found two home-made bombs in apartment not far from Gatwick 
international airport.

Last Updated on March 19, 2003, 3:17 PM (GMT+02:00)




--

Albert Lukaszewski
University of Saint Andrews
Saint Andrews, Fife
KY16 9JU

PGP Key: 945D521D
-- Dave

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