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- WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S.
officials say the Iraqi leadership has drawn "a red line" around
the map of Baghdad and once American troops cross it Iraqi Republican Guards
have been authorized to use chemical weapons, U.S. television networks
reported on Monday.
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- The reports, by CNN, NBC and CBS's National Security
correspondent David Martin, did not name the U.S. officials or give any
further details.
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- NBC said its information was coming from intelligence
officials who based it on intercepts of Iraqi communications.
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- "It's believed once U.S. ground troops cross the
line drawn roughly between Karbala and Al Kut, the Republican Guards are
under orders to attack with chemical weapons," NBC said.
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- CNN said the fact that the use of the weapons had apparently
been authorized did not mean they would ultimately be used.
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- A senior Pentagon source told Reuters he could not confirm
the reports.
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- The United States and Britain invaded Iraq last week
to overthrow President Saddam Hussein and get rid of any weapons of mass
destruction Iraq might have.
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- U.S. war commander General Tommy Franks said at a news
conference in central command in Qatar earlier that his forces had not
found weapons of mass destruction, but that it was "a bit early"
to expect them to.
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- American and British forces hit Iraqi Republican Guards
defending the approaches to Baghdad on the fifth day of the war.
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- The Pentagon said U.S. forces had advanced more than
200 miles into Iraqi territory and were beginning to confront an elite
division of the Republican Guards deployed to defend the capital.
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