This article more correctly descrbes the damaged tanks as M1A2's:
http://www.thetruthseeker.co.uk/article.asp?ID=641
Whereas this one describes the push northward being slowed and mentions M1A2's:
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/03/25/1048354558899.html
Another article on the initial deployments:
http://www.kdhnews.com/military_114032.html
Probably just the result of inaccurate reporting. The actual vehicle/weapon designations probably don't mean a thing to the average viewer. A good time for modern US equipment modelers to get gobs of free reference material.