* Senior U.S. officer says Baghdad airport under U.S.
control; U.S. troops fight off Iraqi counterattack, destroy five
tanks
* U.S. military says 320 Iraqi troops killed in U.S. airport
attack and much equipment seized or destroyed
* Heavy bombing of centre of Baghdad, presidential palaces
hit; Central Command says hit headquarters of Iraqi air force
* Iraqi military says Baghdad will "swallow whole" any
invading forces, says Basra still under Iraqi control
* Iraq's leading Shi'ite Muslim cleric asks millions of
followers to remain neutral in any fighting; experts say this
undermines Baghdad hopes of unleashing "holy war"
* U.S. advance lifts Asian stocks, dollar; oil, gold retreat

QUOTES
Saddam quoted by Iraqi television: "Victory is certain and
it is in our hands....To achieve this goal, we must not let the
enemy decide and hit, but we must find ways to exhaust him and
tear through his ranks and not give him the chance to catch his
breath."
U.S. Air Force General Richard Myers: "Nobody should be
euphoric that now that we are on the edge of Baghdad this thing
is just about over. That's not true."

EVENTS (TIMES IN GMT)
Friday -
* Foreign ministers of France, Germany and Russia expected
to meet in Paris to discuss Iraq crisis
* Blix takes part in Stockholm seminar on world after war in
Iraq

CASUALTIES
* U.S. - 56 killed, 12 missing; up to seven more possibly
killed in helicopter crash
* Britain - 27 killed
* Iraqi military - U.S. says 320 Iraqi soldiers killed in
battle for Baghdad airport. No confirmed figure for losses in
war from Iraqis
* Iraqi civilians (Iraqi estimates) - 1,250 killed, 5,103
injured

MILITARY ACTION
BAGHDAD: U.S. forces seize Baghdad airport -- though some
buildings still to be cleared -- in first ground attack on city
suburb. Nocturnal bombardment of the city resumes with many
bombs hitting Saddam's presidential palaces.
SOUTHERN IRAQ:
U.S. Marines tighten grip on Nassiriya after breaking Iraqi
resistance from the Fedayeen militia who had control over past
week; British troops edge two km (one mile) towards southern
outskirts of Basra