Desert wait for US Marines

Desert wait for US Marines

By David Willis BBC correspondent with US Marines in central Iraq

Hundreds of US Marines are waiting in the desert

Digging in or maybe just bogged down - American Marines in this convoy are now stuck in the mud after vicious sandstorms brought their move on Baghdad to a shuddering halt.

Hundreds of American Marines are kicking their heels in the desert and may not be moving for several days.

The strain is starting to show on supply lines, which are stretched to the limit and the infantry is getting short on food.

Awaiting supplies

"Food right now is one meal a day until supplies come and we re-supply," says Lance Corporal Juan Gonzales.

When asked how long that will that be, he shrugs and says: "We don't know - hopefully soon."

But it's not just food that is a problem.

We're just making sure that we have the right pieces in place to make it all the way to Baghdad.

Captain Matthew Kolich

These tanks do half a mile to the gallon and their advance has outrun their supplies. The convoy is to stop for up to a week while the food and the fuel, the bullets and the bombs catch them up.

Captain Matthew Kolich says: "It's just that we moved a long way from Kuwait and our supply lines are stretched.

"We're just making sure that we have the right pieces in place to make it all the way to Baghdad."

Under attack

And all this while the Marines have been coming under constant ambush from small but determined groups of Iraqi fighters.

Some of these men have been out in the desert for many weeks and are keen to get back to family, friends and loved ones.

They are kicking their heels in the desert and just want to "get on with the job" as they put it.

Troops are waiting for supplies of fuel as well as food

It's a sign of the nervousness here that a group of Marines opened fire on a civilian vehicle after hearing what they thought was a gunshot. Later, it emerged that the car had simply backfired.

All three occupants were killed.

It is hoped that this massive convoy will soon be on the move again.

But for now the world's most powerful army is regrouping, its confidence dented, the march on Baghdad currently on hold.

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