Coalition braces for suicide attacks

Coalition braces for suicide attacks

There have been fears over possible suicide attacks for some time

British and American serviceman have been on alert for possible suicide attacks for the past few days. It appears now that those fears may have been well-founded.

The apparent suicide bombing that has killed four American soldiers near the southern city of Najaf signals a new threat against US-led forces fighting what looks more and more like guerrilla-style tactics.

Only a few days ago, the British 3 Commando Brigade was reported to have raised its alert level and all Royal Marines were ordered to wear body armour vests and helmets at all times when outdoors.

In the days leading up to the conflict in Iraq, top Iraqi officials vowed attacks by suicide squads should there be a war against Iraq.

Now Iraqi Vice-President Taha Yassin Ramadan has promised they will become a "routine" tactic to fend off invaders.

'Suicide PoWs'

The first physical evidence of plans to employ suicide missions appeared to come last week with the discovery of an Iraqi speedboat packed with half a tonne of high explosive, raising fears of a naval attack.

The boat was intercepted by Iranian gunboats near the mouth of the Shatt-al-Arab waterway that connects Iraq's second city Basra to the Gulf.

Coalition naval forces were immediately put on high alert.

Also last week, Iraq claimed a suicide bombing against a coalition tank in the south of the country, although no other casualties were reported.

One of the main fears has been of potential "suicide PoWs" - Islamic militants posing as Iraqi fighters, who, appearing to be surrendering would use suicide tactics to try to cause as many casualties as possible.

Coalition troops have been given special training on how to search and handle PoWs.

It is also feared that the Fedayeen Saddam, irregulars whose name translates as "those ready to sacrifice themselves for Saddam", might commandeer civilian vehicles, such as ambulances, to deliver bombs.

The group is currently putting up much of the resistance to advancing American and British troops in the south of the country.

Practiced tactic

Suicide attacks by Palestinian militant groups targeting the better equipped Israeli army have been common during the intifada (uprising) that broke out more than two years ago.

Iraqi state television, as it praised the junior officer who had carried out Saturday's attack against American soldiers, said he had wanted to "teach the invaders a lesson in the same manner of our Palestinian martyrdom fighters".

Osama Bin Laden, no friend of Saddam Hussein's secular regime but an avowed enemy of the US, urged Iraqis last month to use the tactic to repel invading Americans.

The last time the US military faced suicide bombers was in Lebanon in the early 1980s, when 241 were killed in an attack after a member of the Hezbollah movement drove a truck packed with explosives into the US marine base in Beirut.

Three years ago, 17 sailors died when suicide bombers in a small boat hit the US warship Cole in Yemen. The attack has been blamed on the al-Qaeda network.