4:07pm UK, Friday April 04, 2003

A US commander who led a fierce push by Marines through southern Iraq towards Baghdad has been relieved of his post, a US military spokesman said.

180GW2 marines bridge over Euphrates riverIraq

A US Marine at the Euphrates river (file)

The spokesman did not give any reasons for the move, AFP news agency reported.

The officer was named as Colonel Joe Dowdy, commander of the Marines First Regimental Combat Team 1.

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 within 80 miles from Baghdad.

Military spokesman Steven Schweitzer said: "He was responsible for the regiment until three hours ago."

Officials at the US Central Command war headquarters in Qatar declined to 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 crew had been given orders to ferry the colonel back to Kuwait.