An Iraqi Division Commander in the South of the Country Surrendered Along with Most of His Soldiers to Coalition Forces - 2003-03-22

U.S. Department of Defense officials announced that a commander of an Iraqi division in the south of the country has surrendered along with most of his soldiers to coalition forces. The Pentagon states that the commander of the 51st Infantry Division of Iraq surrendered while U.S. and British forces were advancing towards Basra. This division includes several thousand soldiers and dozens of tanks. It is still unclear how many soldiers surrendered with their commander. This division was tasked with protecting Basra, the second-largest city in Iraq, which is an important center for oil production and transportation in southern Iraq. U.S. Department of Defense officials have made efforts to encourage Iraqi army units to surrender to coalition forces. The coalition forces are using the distribution of printed leaflets and radio broadcasts to persuade them to refrain from fighting to defend a regime that, according to Donald Rumsfeld, the U.S. Secretary of Defense, is dying. Meanwhile, U.S. and British forces have subjected Baghdad to massive airstrikes. The United States has termed such extensive airstrikes as 'shock and awe.' The Department of Defense states that coalition soldiers have seized Iraq's oil terminals in the Persian Gulf and the port of Umm Qasr. However, the Iraqi Minister of Defense stated that his country's soldiers are still resisting U.S. and British forces in Umm Qasr and the strategic Faw Peninsula. A Voice of America reporter accompanying U.S. forces in southern Iraq reported that when U.S. Marines entered a southern Iraqi city named 'Safwan,' they tore down images of Saddam with the help of local residents.