-
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. troops dug in south of Baghdad on Sunday, preparing to wait for weeks before resuming their advance on Saddam Hussein's heavily defended capital.
But as American warplanes, missiles and artillery pounded Iraqi Republican Guard positions around the city, General Tommy Franks insisted the U.S. and British invasion to overthrow the president was "on plan" and there was no "operational pause." U.S. officers and soldiers in some units in the field south of Baghdad -- some are just 60 miles away -- told Reuters they had orders to dig in for at least two weeks to give U.S. air power and artillery a chance to grind down its defenses.
Failure to break into the southern city of Basra after a week's siege may also have forced a rethink of military plans.
Rummy and Franks are denying.