SOUTH EAST OF BAGHDAD - A US commander
who led a fierce push by Marines through southern
Iraq towards Baghdad was relieved of his post
Friday for an undisclosed reason, a US military
spokesman said.
Colonel Joe Dowdy, commander of the Marines
First Regimental Combat Team, was removed as head
of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force's Regimental
Combat Team 1, said public affairs officer Steven
Schweitzer.
"He was responsible for the regiment until
three hours ago," Schweitzer said.
Officials at the US Central Command (Centcom)
war headquarters in Qatar declined comment.
"At this time we have no information about
anyone being relieved of command," Centcom
spokesman Lieutenant Commander Joshua Rushing
said.
But another senior officer, who declined to be
named, said a replacement for Dowdy had been
announced and a helicopter had arrived Friday with
orders to ferry the colonel back to Kuwait.
Dowdy was in command of 5,000 men and women and
had led the regiment's advance through southern
and central Iraq, including a bloody passage
through the Euphrates River town of Nasiriyah.
He was described as a popular commander who
kept casualties down in leading his troops to some
130 kilometres (80 miles) from Baghdad by
Friday.
