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Marines in Tikrit, Encounter Sporadic Resistance

Monday, April 14, 2003
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

Brooks said it will be months before the fields produce again. He said the regime did not apply money allocated to maintain the fields. Iraqi oil experts worked with coalition forces to extinguish fires in the oil fields and at processing plants.

WASHINGTON -- AFIS
U.S. Marines encountered sporadic resistance as they moved into Tikrit today, U.S. Central Command officials said this morning during a press conference in Qatar.

Tikrit is the hometown of Saddam Hussein, and military officials had said the area could be a tough nut to crack. However, the Marines entered the city easily and are extending their control, officials said.

The only significant combat in Iraq during the previous day was in Tikrit, Army Brig. Gen. Vincent Brooks said. "The land component sent a Marine task force to attack from Baghdad to Tikrit," he said, noting that the force met little resistance between the two locations.

"The attack continued yesterday and its first efforts were to isolate Tikrit," said Brooks, CENTCOM's deputy chief of operations. The Marines entered Tikrit today and secured the presidential palace and began the search for regime supporters.

The same is true in the rest of Iraq. "The coalition is expanding areas of influence throughout the country and concentrating efforts on security and stability," Brooks said. Coalition forces are operating to surround Tikrit to prevent Saddam's henchmen from escaping.
(More: DefenseLINK.mil)
2003 © United States Department of Defense.

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