US military operation in north Iraq

Several hundred "Sky Soldiers" of the 173rd Airborne Brigade opened a new front in a Kurdish-controlled area of northern Iraq, US defense officials announced yesterday.

The troopers jumped onto an airfield. Now that the area is secure, flights will bring in more equipment and personnel. The 173rd is based in Vicenza, Italy. Joint Staff officials said the landing was unopposed and the jump went well.

The presence of U.S. troops in the region puts the squeeze on the regime of Saddam Hussein and, U.S. officials said, will give a psychological boost to Kurds opposed to him. U.S. planners had hoped to have a Northern Front in the war against Iraq from the beginning, but Turkey refused to allow the U.S. 4th Infantry Division to traverse its territory to attack.

U.S. special operations forces operated in the north even before hostilities started. Officials said they were on hand when the 173rd made its drop. Army officials said this was the largest combat airborne operation since the Vietnam War. The 173rd participated in that operation, too.