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U.S. moving 'at will' in Baghdad'Still some orders' from Iraqi military
By Sean Loughlin
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- With Saddam Hussein's fate a mystery following the bombing of an Iraqi leadership target, Pentagon officials said Tuesday that American forces were moving "at will" within and around Baghdad, describing the capital city as isolated. At the same time, Pentagon officials said Saddam's regime still controls elements of the Iraqi military, specifically Special Republican Guard units and death squads, even though command and control has deteriorated. "There are still some orders being given by somebody. They don't seem to be the best of orders. They don't seem to be very well coordinated," said Pentagon spokeswoman Victoria Clarke, describing most of the opposition as "sporadic attacks from small units." Making a point of the military's success at moving into what had been the seat of power for the Iraqi government, Maj. Gen. Stanley McChrystal said U.S. forces in and around Baghdad "are spending the night wherever they want to." U.S. forces have highlighted their success at either targeting or occupying buildings, including two presidential palaces, highly valued by Saddam, part of an effort by the United States to convince Iraqis that the regime is no longer in control of the country. "Our troops are moving at will in Baghdad, including the presidential palaces," Clarke said. McChrystal put it this way: "We have, in fact, essentially isolated the capital." To get to this point, coalition forces have used more than 15,000 precision-guided "smart" bombs, accounting for some 70 percent of all munitions used in the air campaign, U.S. officials said. Planes have flown more than 30,000 sorties. Officials said the priority now is for planes to provide close air support for troops in Baghdad and in the northern Iraqi cities of Mosul, Tikrit and Kirkuk, and for special operations forces in western Iraq. Journalists' deathsAt Tuesday's Pentagon briefing, Clarke and McChrystal, vice director for operations of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also defended an incident in which American military fired on a hotel housing international journalists. Two journalists were killed in the incident. The two expressed regret for the loss of life, but said American forces were under fire at the time and had a right to defend themselves. "When they are fired at, they have not only the right to respond, they have the obligation to respond to protect the soldiers with them and to accomplish the mission at large," McChrystal said. Said Clarke: "War is a dangerous, dangerous business, and you're not safe when you're in a war zone." As for the bombing of a building in Baghdad's Mansour neighborhood Monday, the two said it was not clear who was inside. But officials said intelligence reports indicated regime leadership figures were at the site, possibly Saddam and his two sons. McChrystal characterized that strike as "very, very effective," but added, "We do not have hard-battle damage assessment on exactly what individual or individuals were on site."
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