Scorched Earth policy in Basra? [Archive]

crocodile deathroll

30th March 2003, 04:53 AM

I noticed on BBC news footage there is an unusual amount of smoke rising n the direction of Basra. Could this be the dreaded scorched earth policy by troops loyal to Saddam setting the whole place on fire and thus triggering the dreaded humanitarian crisis.???
Or will they just wait for a seige in Baghdad to do something so desparate.???

I Dili the capital of East Timor the fleeing Indonesian millitia did successfully set the entire place on fire a few years back.

It is a dirty war.

Goshawk

30th March 2003, 11:54 AM

The smoke is from burning oil wells in the Rumaila oil field just west of Basra. The city itself is still reasonably intact.

http://washingtontimes.com/world/20030330-7626865.htm
...wringing hands that are smeared with soot from the choking black smoke that rises from burning oil wells.
http://www.brudirect.com/DailyInfo/News/Archive/Mar03/240303/wn02.htm
A senior U.S. military official, Brig. Gen. Vince Brooks, said Iraqis had set afire nine of the roughly 500 oil wells in the giant Rumaila oil field west of Basra.