Republican Guard Units Still May Pose Threat

U.S. forces have pressed on in their advance on Baghdad, passing the cities of Karbala and An Najaf. They reportedly have bypassed large numbers of scattered or isolated Republican Guard forces as well. Whether these Iraqi troops pose a continued threat to U.S. forces will depend on the accuracy of U.S. intelligence regarding their condition, resilience of Iraqi command and control, the training they have received in small unit action and the continued availability of coalition air cover.