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| Iraq |
| 1,000 truck Rep Guard convoy heads south to |
| 2003-03-26 |
| Just the relevant part is excerpted below: As allied troops slowed their rush through Iraq after blinding sandstorms and word of Saddam's "dirty tricks," a convoy of at least 1,000 Republican Guard vehicles headed south to meet them. Intelligence officers with the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force said the units of Saddam's best trained and most loyal troops were headed from Baghdad on a route that avoids advancing U.S. Army forces and leads them directly to the Marines undoubtedly worn from intense fighting around An Nasiriyah. They can't be serious, can they? Leaving the city they're supposed to be defending and heading south in a convoy when the other side controls the air? |
| Posted by:jrosevear |
| #26 The strategy is obvious. It was the carnage of the highway of death that finally led Bush Sr. and the American people to call off the combat. Saddam hopes to repeat the event hoping for the same results. He's wrong. |
| Posted by: Yank 2003-03-26 17:06:38 |
| #25 All through this fight we keep hearing about JADMS and GBU-15's being used. Are the RGs about to meet the flying pigs? |
| Posted by: Someone who did NOT vote for William Proxmire 2003-03-26 16:28:51 |
| #24 Secound link worked,your welcome statement is great.Reading"Critical Battle Ahead now". |
| Posted by: raptor 2003-03-26 13:22:39 |
| #23 I can't believe they're this stupid. Nice, though. |
| Posted by: someone 2003-03-26 13:04:02 |
| #22 You're thinking like a westerner, liberalhawk, not a "true believer". Consider how the shuttle disaster was seen as Allah striking down American pride. Same issue here, with the added advantage of pushing the "victory in battle" hot button. However, you are correct in that I did not sufficiently distinguish between Arab Muslims, Arab non-muslims, and non-arab muslims. Some take their faith more radically than others, and its the radical Islamists to which a military disaster happening in the desert to our brave Marines will resonate the most. Point taken. Thanks. |
| Posted by: Ptah 2003-03-26 13:03:51 |
| #21 interesting Ptah - BUT: The '67 war, IIUC, had a far greater impact on the arab world than on the rest of the muslim world. While many arabs see things in islamic terms, and Nasserite secularism has been on the decline since 1967, I have my doubts that the entire arab world sees things through an Islamic lens (though even those who are not are certainly familiar with the texts you have cited) I also dont know if an Iraqi victory here would redound to the direct benefit of the radical fundamentalists - in the short run it would show Allah smiling on the Baathists, and what it would show in the long run would depend on the eventual fate of the regime, and its choice of allies. And the value of showing "faith" in a suicidal dash can be seen in nationalist terms (arab nationalist more than Iraqi nationalist, in this case) as well as in Islamic terms. Indeed, it may be that Islamic concepts paved the way for nationalist intensity in the Arab world (just as in very different ways Western nationalism had at least some of its roots in the religious crusader spirit - Im thinking very much of Spain, Prussia, and reformation England - not France though - maybe thats in insight about the French - the first cause they were "disloyal" to was the 17thc Catholic cause, establishing the placement of realpolitik above ideology as part of their national character) |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2003-03-26 11:55:07 |
| #20 I've just started the blog, and the name must still be working its way through the domain name server system. I've looked at my site, and already have several hits, so I know the name is good in some places. hHere's a VERY temporary alternative link that'll work. I use it to invoke Moveable Type, and I know its been up for a long time. |
| Posted by: Ptah 2003-03-26 11:30:18 |
| #19 If ONE of these vehicles makes it all the way, whoever is running the air campaign should die of shame. |
| Posted by: Hodadenon 2003-03-26 11:25:29 |
| #18 www.crusaderwarcollege.org is refusing connections. What's up? |
| Posted by: Anonymous 2003-03-26 11:12:19 |
| #17 It's a bit hard to figure this one. Iraqi formations haven't performed well on the offensive against Western troops, so I find it hard to believe that they plan an actual attack on First MEF positions. Is it possible that they are trying to deploy into urban or broken ground positions in front of the Marines? And while the sandstorm does provide some concealment, as well as grounding our helicopters, is that really going to be enough to allow the RG to move safely? Large weather systems are patchy -- you have congested areas and clear areas -- and we have the ability to loiter over the roads with everything from A-10s to B-52s. |
| Posted by: Patrick Phillips 2003-03-26 09:52:20 |
| #16 Aaack! Here's the link. It's the topic labelled ALERT! ALERT! ALERT!. |
| Posted by: Ptah 2003-03-26 09:47:47 |
| #15 This is going to be the most critical battle of the entire war on Terror and radical Islam. There is a METHOD to this seeming madness. I can't go into detail here, but please see a post I made this morning A CLASS=ED HREF="HTTP://www.crusaderwarcollege.org">on my weblog.. It explains the seeming motivation behind the advance, and what the Iraquis hope to achieve. Please visit if you're a praying person: specific guidance there. Don't be deceived by appearances: This battle will replace Iwo Jima and Okinawa as the most important battle the Marines have ever fought. If there is a time you have respected my judgment and opinion, please do so now. |
| Posted by: Ptah 2003-03-26 09:43:22 |
| #14 I have serious trouble working up any sympathy for the RGs. May the horrors that are about to unfold upon their heads be massive and total. |
| Posted by: jrosevear 2003-03-26 09:31:48 |
| #13 I suspect the Iraqi Army is making a stab at relief and resupply of forces in the south. It is possible that they didn't expect their resistance in the south to collapse so quickly. If the Iraqi command thinks they will gain an advantage by striking at US Marine light infantry, you gotta feel sorry for what the RGs are about to experience. |
| Posted by: badanov 2003-03-26 09:04:02 |
| #12 The Marines appear to be tied up at the river crossings. Irregulars to the rear making resupply difficult. Reported to be exhausted. The Guards command feels it can isolate and defeat in detail the Marines. Unfortunately, the Marines have them right where they want them. They're goona rip off their heads and sh*t down their necks. |
| Posted by: Chuck 2003-03-26 08:56:36 |
| #11 SammyCo must have been listening to NPR, where everything is always on the verge o' disaster. |
| Posted by: (lowercase) matt 2003-03-26 08:44:07 |
| #10 War is hard, except when your enemy makes life easy for you. |
| Posted by: Hiryu 2003-03-26 08:26:29 |
| #9 Knowing Saddam and Thugs, Inc., every other vehicle is probably a van or flatbed packed with women and children forced into the convoy under penalty of death--from Iraqi bullets or Coalition bombs--and Murat's beloved al-Jazeera will be only too happy to show the end results to the Arab world with their so-called unbiased coverage. |
| Posted by: Dar Steckelberg 2003-03-26 08:26:12 |
| #8 as far as i can tell from press reports, the regular Republican Guards have NOT moved into Bagdad - the city is held by Special Rep. Guards, Fedayeen/Brown Shirts, and Police/Securitate. Evidently the regime doesnt trust the RG. So given a choice between holding them in place in the ring around Bagdad, to be ground down by air power and artillery, or trying to use them for an attack, using them for an attack, which stands some chance of inflicting at least SOME damage on coalition forces, makes sense. It also is psy ops - by showing the will to fight offensively, it inspires, resistang remnants, and, in the regimes mind, demoralizes the coalition, and inspires the arab street. |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2003-03-26 08:22:47 |
| #7 All I can figure is they're counting on the sandstorms to give them their "final victory". Or maybe they're eager to collect their 72 virgins. |
| Posted by: Dave D. 2003-03-26 08:20:24 |
| #6 Highway of Death: The Sequel. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2003-03-26 08:08:08 |
| #5 Cry "Havoc," and let slip the Hogs of War! Warthogs, that is. A-10s. |
| Posted by: Mike 2003-03-26 08:03:21 |
| #4 It's possible they think that the sandstorms will keep them safe from our air cover. I can't see any other reason they think they can get away with this... can anyone else? |
| Posted by: jrosevear 2003-03-26 07:46:14 |
| #3 It's simply an operational test of our air group. dorf |
| Posted by: Anonymous 2003-03-26 07:44:29 |
| #2 Either they're preparing to surrender (away from other RG/Baghdad) or they have a highway-of-death wish. Interesting. |
| Posted by: Kalle 2003-03-26 07:39:34 |
| #1 Allah Akhbar! What do they think they're doing? |
| Posted by: Bulldog 2003-03-26 07:15:27 |