![]() ![]() Vincent Brooks (photo) told reporters at a news briefing at Central Command in Qatar that special forces in Iraq's western desert had found what they believed was a training school for handling chemical warfare. The books and manuals were in a safe, Jackson said. The vials were about four and a half inches long. They have so far found no firm evidence to back their accusations. The United States and Britain invaded Iraq on March 20, accusing Saddam of hiding chemical and other weapons of mass destruction. "It's unclear at this point what the vials contain, and we're sending a team of experts to examine them," Capt. troops have found thousands of boxes containing vials of unidentified liquid and powder as well as manuals on chemical warfare at two sites near Baghdad, a U.S. "Unless they surrender quickly, I don't think there's any chance that they will survive," he said, referring to the U.S. "But we will conduct a kind of martyrdom operations," al-Sahaf said at a news conference.Įarlier in the day, al-Sahaf said at the same news conference that Iraq would "commit a non-conventional act," possibly on Friday night, against U.S. forces prepared for the battle of Baghdad, Iraqi Information Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf said on Friday that Iraq had no plans to use chemical or biological weapons against invading U.S. The TV footage was unable to quell suspicions that Saddam Hussein is dead, since it could not be verified that it was filmed on the same day or whether it was Saddam himself.Īs U.S. Later in the day Saddam was shown on television visiting a residential area in what was said to be Baghdad. Apache helicopter on March 24 suggested that the Iraqi leader had survived previous U.S. On Friday, Saddam Hussein gave an address on Iraqi television urging the Iraqi people to "strike the enemy with force." His mention of the downing of a U.S. technological advantage, could be bloody. It is unclear what defenses President Saddam Hussein may have positioned inside Baghdad, and fighting there, which would limit the U.S. commanders have cautioned that they may wait before storming toward the city center, area even if they secure positions around the outskirts. forces said they had seized about 80 percent of the sprawling complex. Central European Time), shortly after U.S. The fighting started on Friday about 7:30 a.m. Witnesses said dozens of people were killed or wounded. forces began their attack on the airport on Thursday evening by raining heavy artillery fire and bombs on the facility - attacks that left buildings in flames. ![]() The airport will not be considered secure "until you've gone to every room of every building," said Major John Altman, an intelligence officer with the division. forces still have some dangerous work to do. ![]() forces can use the facility to supply their troops and reduce the risk of using a vulnerable road link that stretches all the way back to Kuwait.īut before they can start to fully use the facility, located about 12 miles (20 kilometers) southwest of downtown Baghdad, U.S. "Taking the airport makes a dramatic political statement, but it's also strategic," said Peabody, commander of the Engineer Brigade of the 3rd Infantry Division.Īs a result, U.S. John Peabody expressed satisfaction about the capture of the airport. ![]() The capture of the airport was one of many developments that happened on the 16th day of the war. Vincent Brooks told reporters at Central Command's forward base in Qatar. "And it is a gateway to the future of Iraq," Brig. The airport is now called Baghdad International. troops seized the airport near Baghdad, the name of Saddam International ceased to exist, the U.S. ![]()
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