I’m really surprised at all the mistakes and confusion in the Iraq war. For example: (1) a few days ago a flight of Apache helicopters flew into an area expecting to blow up a bunch of Republican Guard tanks and AFVs. Instead they ended up overflying numerous AAA emplacements and got the shit shot out of them. Returning pilots were said to be “stunned” at the fact that there was AAA in the area. They were totally caught off guard. (2) the Pentagon has admitted that it way underestimated the number of Iraqi militia troops (Saddam Fedayeen, etc.) and the wide dispersal of those troops. These unknown militia troops ambushed several rear elements of the coalition forces and were apparently the ones who took most of the American POWs. (3) US army officers were reporting an enormous column of RG units, including 1,000 armored vehicles, moving south to attack US positions. They said they expected to be in a massive battle by tonight. Now they say there’s actually no column at all.
Is this just the regular fog of war? Because to me, these seem like some really major oversights. Not knowing you’re sending aircraft into an area full of AAA emplacements? Mistakenly thinking a column of 1,000 armored vehicles is heading your way? It seems crazy. Can’t the US come up with better intelligence than this? What is going on?
Can we wait 7 days before declaring it stalled? I mean, the freaking Taliban weathered airstrikes for 3 weeks before they crumbled and they were on an exposed ridge.
I think Ryan was just commenting on how surprised he was at some of the apparent blunders. However, I have to wonder how many of these are “fog of media” as opposed to “fog of war”.
“Fog of Media,” nice. Did you come up with that yourself? Because I’ve never heard it and it sounds about right. I also wonder how much of the slowdown can be attributed to over caution. Wanting to avoid more mistakes (like those mechanics) and minimize casualties by letting the Iraqis expend ammo and other fire. Wait them out to soften them up. That seems to be what the British are doing near Basra now.
Here’s an interesting story from Slate on a military cock-up.
Yeah, exactly. I’m not saying it’s stalled. I think it’s moving along. I’m just really shocked at how bad US intelligence seems to be, and how US troops keep blundering into danger.
I don’t think it’s “fog of media,” though. The thing with the Apaches was clearly a US intel screwup; the Pentagon has admitted the thing with the Feyadeen was a US intel screwup; and the reports of the phantom Iraqi column supposedly (unless the reporters are lying) came directly from officers on the ground south of Baghdad.
I really do wonder if this is just par for the course.
Remember the posts just about a week ago talking about how the Iraqis would welcome us with open arms?[/quote]
Remember the news stories and eyewitness accounts of loyal soldiers shooting defectors and keeping cities under house arrest so no one can leave?
Remember the posts just about a week ago talking about how the Iraqis would welcome us with open arms?[/quote]
Remember the news stories and eyewitness accounts of loyal soldiers shooting defectors and keeping cities under house arrest so no one can leave?[/quote]
Also, remember 12 years ago when we encouraged the revolt against Saddam and then left thousands of people to get tortured and butchered by Saddam’s troops while our army sat 60 miles away in Kuwait?
Hell, if I was on the ground, no matter how much I hated Saddam, I’d wait until the dust settled before publicly coming out one way or the other. Doing otherwise is potential suicide.
Meek quoted another man, a farmer named Said Yahir, as saying that the marines had come to his house and had taken his son, his rifle and 3m dinars (£500; $800).
Are U.S. Marines known for robbing and kidnapping civilians?
The roundtable on Jim Lehr’s News Hour was excellent on this point. Their doing an evening analysis with three ex military guys. While one pretty much spouted the current pentagon line the other two tore into him.
We don’t have enough people (we are already moving more in.) Tanks and mechanized forces are breaking down at an accelerated pace requiring constant attention. Troops are exhausted by the race to baghdad from the opening days, and due to on the hour attacks by irregulars they are getting little sleep. Supply lines are far too long and are demanding the protection of soldiers needed elsewhere (is that why we see the AMTRAC amphibious assault vehicles in the middle of the desert?) Most important was that the arrogance, of fighting this war on cheep to prove that that could done - combined with poor measurements of our popularity in the country, is endangering the troops.
But the Pentagon is responding as the Washington Post article pointed, they have begun to prepare for a “months long war.” Slower paced advances and much more troops.
Are U.S. Marines known for robbing and kidnapping civilians?[/quote]
Well, duh, I didn’t buy that either. Like where is the Marine going to convert the Dinars to Dollars?
But that was a quote from a guy who said “a buddy told me that…” and it wasn’t presented as fact. It doesn’t nullify the other information in the story.
This is the BBC we’re talking about, not Fox News.
Are U.S. Marines known for robbing and kidnapping civilians?[/quote]
Well, duh, I didn’t buy that either. Like where is the Marine going to convert the Dinars to Dollars?
But that was a quote from a guy who said “a buddy told me that…” and it wasn’t presented as fact. It doesn’t nullify the other information in the story.
This is the BBC we’re talking about, not Fox News.[/quote]
Okay, you got me there. But still, BBC is notorious for their ‘ooooh we’re doooomed’ journalism, every single tiny setback is blown up into the largest disaster since the time E.T. got drunk and smashed into the Washington monument.
