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Article: Battling for Baghdad: soldiers and marines take on Iraqis in what Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld called "the fastest advance on a capital city in modern military history." (War in Iraq).
- Article from:
- VFW Magazine
- Article date:
- June 1, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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From the beginning of the war in Iraq, the battle for the capital city of Baghdad loomed in the distance. As U.S. troops making their way toward the city met limited resistance from Iraqi forces, a fierce confrontation at Baghdad seemed imminent.
The Army's 3rd Infantry Division and the Marines' 1st Division took western and eastern routes, respectively, from Kuwait, converging on the city in early April. While the Republican Guard and Fedayeen did fight back against GIs entering the city, firefights were isolated and Iraqi defenses ineffective.
The long road to Baghdad had come to an end, and the city fell in just a matter of days.
'Marne' ...