March 21, 2003 from cotsman.com Enormous explosions in Baghdad as 'shock and awe' assault begins Stewart Kirkpatrick skirkpatrick@scotsman.com At least 30 enormous explosions have rocked Baghdad early this evening as it is subjected to a major air raid. This is believed to be the start of the "shock and awe" air campaign promised by the coalition forces. This morning several B-52 bombers took off from RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, with a US official saying that tonight's air strikes on Iraq would be bigger than anything seen thus far in the conflict. Their mission was reportedly part of a "big blast" against Iraq. • British and American forces were this afternoon on the "outskirts of Basra" according to the UK's Admiral Sir Michael Boyce, Chief of the Defence Staff. He revealed that the key port town of Umm Qasr had fallen into coalition hands while oil fields on the Kuwaiti border had also been captured by allied troops. The US force heading for Basra was accompanied by two battle groups of the UK 7th Armoured Brigade, the Black Watch and the 1st Battalion Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. View map of this morning's Allied advance into Iraq Sir Michael said: "The leading elements of that formation are now on the outskirts of Basra itself. On the way, they have seen a lot of evidence of large-scale Iraqi capitulation, evidenced by abandoned positions and items of equipment." A Ministry of Defence insider said that taking the key southern city of Basra was a "key aim" for tonight. • Advancing US forces have been halted by stiff resistance from Iraqi troops near Nasiriyah, a main crossing point over the Euphrates river, some 230 miles southeast of Baghdad. Military sources said that the mechanised US 3rd Infantry Division had expected to join battle with the defending troops "soon". • British commandos have taken the Faw peninsula on Iraq’s southern tip, seizing oil export terminals. • US troops took control of the town of Safwan near the Kuwaiti border after an air and land assault. • In far western Iraq, two key airfields known as H-2 and H-3, have been taken by Allied forces. However, control of the bases is said to be “tentative”. They were targeted because Scud missiles they are believed to stationed there. • A US marine has become the first Allied combat casualty. He was killed while advancing on the Rumeila oil field. Hours earlier, eight British and four American soldiers died in a US Marine helicopter crash that a British military spokesman said was an accident. There are also reports of Iraqi civilians being killed in the fighting. "Very large" numbers of Iraqi troops are reportedly surrendering to the Allies. • Allied forces have seized 68 mines being transported by tug boats Iraq’s Khor Abdallah estuary. The stretch of water links Umm Qasr and the Persian Gulf and mining the waters could pose a most serious threat to Allied forces at sea, especially if they want to make use of the port soon. Talks are taking place between the Allies and elements within the Iraqi forces • Donald Rumsfeld, the US defence secretary, has revealed that talks are taking place between the Allies and elements within the Iraqi forces in the hope that the “full force and fury of a war” could be avoided. • Meanwhile, international condemnation of the war continues. Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, described the war as a “potential source of instability for other regions”. Jacques Chirac, the French president, has said his country would "not accept" any UN resolution to let the US and UK administer Iraq in the aftermath of the war. There have been large anti-war demonstrations in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, Cairo, Beirut, Rome and Amman. •The US TV channel CNN has been ordered to leave Iraq after being accused by Saddam's regime of being "propaaganda tool to spread lies and rumours".