Baghdad came under renewed bombing last night as the main political architect of the war on the American side, US Defence Secretary Mr Donald Rumsfeld warned of difficult and dangerous days ahead.
He made his comments after Iraq threatened a holy war of terror that could extend to the US and Britain following the emergence at the weekend of a suicide-bomber. More than 4,000 volunteers had come to Iraq from different Arab countries to participate in suicide attacks, according to a senior Iraqi military commander.
Mr Rumsfeld appeared to acknowledge Coalition anxieties yesterday when he said: "There are difficult days ahead. . . There will be dangerous days ahead."
Last night, British forces near Basra claimed to have captured an Iraqi general. "I don't know what unit [he was from\]. I do know that we have a general," said Group Commander Al Lockwood, spokesman at war headquarters in Qatar.
The threat of mass suicide attacks came after a weekend car bombing, in which an Iraqi soldier posing as a taxi-driver called for help at a checkpoint near the city of Najaf, then blew up his car as troops came near. Four soldiers from the US Army's 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, were killed.
Lt Gen Hazem al-Rawi, a senior Iraqi defence official, said the suicide attack marked "the beginning of a long path of jihad [holy war\] for Iraqis and Arabs against the invaders."
The vice-president of Iraq, Mr Taha Yassin Ramadan, indicated the attacks could extend to the US, Britain or Australia, three of the countries in the military Coalition against Iraq. The other is Poland.
"The day will come when a single martyrdom operation will kill 5,000 enemies," Mr Ramadan said. "We will use any means to kill our enemy in our land and we will follow the enemy into its land. This is just the beginning."
The Najaf bomber, a non-commissioned officer, was posthumously promoted to colonel and awarded two medals by President Saddam Hussein, according to Iraqi state television. The family of the dead man, named as Ali Jaafar al-Noamani, was reportedly awarded the equivalent of about €35,000 in state compensation. The bombing was also claimed by the radical Palestinian terrorist group Islamic Jihad.
Yesterday in Kuwait a man in civilian clothes drove a small truck into another group that included US soldiers, injuring six people. However, there were no explosives in the truck.
Gen Tommy Franks, senior Coalition military commander, said it was "remarkable" that Saturday's suicide attack had been endorsed by Iraqi leaders. "It's not at all illogical that a dying regime would undertake such acts as suicide bombing," he told a news conference.
In central Iraq, thousands of US Marines took part in "seek and destroy" missions, aimed at clearing the route to Baghdad. They were ordered to question each Iraqi civilian they encountered and give them packets of rations as a goodwill-gesture. One unit was accompanied by a chaplain who supervised aid distribution.
US Central Command (CentCom) said Baghdad targets struck from the air included military facilities at the Abu Garayb Presidential Palace, the Karada military intelligence complex and a paramilitary training centre. Several telephone exchanges were hit yesterday, as well as a train carrying Republican Guard tanks.
In Doha, capital of Qatar, where Centcom headquarters is located, Gen Franks said he did not know how long the conflict would last.
Rejecting claims that he was in conflict with Mr Rumsfeld about the timing of the original invasion and the number of troops involved, he said that "those who would seek to find a wedge between the various leaders" would not be able to do so.
Asked about Iraqi civilian casualties, Gen Franks said: "This is an incredible, precise operation." He claimed the Iraqi people understood the care Coalition forces were taking and "the people of Iraq will welcome their liberation."
Mr Rumsfeld denied reports that he had rejected requests for additional troops from military commanders. He denied claims that US strategy had failed.