With U.S. forces closing in on Baghdad, internecine street-to-street fighting remains a possibility. One can only hope this does not happen. The war reached a decisive stage on Friday when the 3rd Infantry Division seized control of Saddam Hussein International Airport on the outskirts of the capital. The airport has now been renamed Baghdad International Airport by the U.S. Central Command.
Upbeat comments by U.S. commanders suggest that Iraq's military apparatus is crumbling fast. Brig. Gen. Vincent Brooks of the Central Command, for one, has pointed out that the Hussein regime is showing signs of losing control over the military, saying that a collapse of the Iraqi forces is close at hand. U.S. President George W. Bush himself has declared that the regime is nearing its end.
Reportedly the 4th Infantry Division, which is equipped with an array of high-tech weapons, is expected to reach the vicinity of Baghdad in the middle of this month. Once in the city, with both U.S. and British reinforcements, coalition forces may meet fierce resistance from Iraqi troops loyal to President Hussein.