US cavalry 'halfway to Baghdad'

The US 7th Cavalry made an amazing charge into Iraq today and by 0630 GMT were said to be halfway to Baghdad.

Their advance from Kuwait was watched live on TV around the world.

Family members back in the US were glued to their sets as the Abrams main battle tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles raced across the desert unchallenged.

American Stefanie Lyle's husband was on board one of the tanks.

"I've been taping it," she told CNN from her home in Fort Stewart, Georgia. "I just can't believe that we're able to see

CNN had a reporter and cameraman with the cavalry and were constantly beaming back pictures of their rush to the Iraqi capital

Reporter Walter Rogers, said they had punched a hole into Iraq and were heading north acting as scouts for the main battle group, the US 3rd Infantry Division.

The unit was being led by helicopters flying as low as 30 feet

The Cavalry clashed with Iraqi forces when they first crossed into enemy territory but their powerful tanks soon ended that brief battle.

Then followed a trouble free near 30 mph race across the desert.