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| Iraq |
| Attacks on U.S. in Fallujah Decrease |
| 2003-07-18 |
| EFL Anti-American violence in the city of Fallujah, where U.S. soldiers faced dozens of attacks in May and June, has come to a virtual halt, the commander of U.S. forces there said Friday. But, but, what happened to the quagmire? Maj. Gen. Buford C. Blount III, commander of the 3rd Infantry Division, told reporters at his Baghdad headquarters that the drop in attacks has enabled him to reduce troops in Fallujah by 50 percent. He declined to provide exact troop levels, but said as an example of the cutbacks the number at 24-hour guard posts in the city has dropped from 300 to 150. He also has withdrawn half the soldiers in the city’s police headquarters. Third Infantry soldiers moved into Fallujah in early June, after units from the 82nd Airborne, followed by the 3rd Armored Calvary Regiment, faced a series of attacks. Blount said the number of attacks on his soldiers there has fallen from 20-25 a week about two months ago to zero this week. Zero is good. The key to providing security there, he said, was working more closely with local leaders. "We listened to what their concerns were," he said. Think we’ll hear about this from big media? Nah. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #6 This is news to me. Great. Even in the Sunni triangle, we can snuff out opposition. The press sees only a debacle in the making, of course. But remember, the press defines a "crisis" over here as a decrease in the rate of increase for a favorite government program. When bullets are flying, mere "crisis" won't do--must escalate to "debacle" or the inevitable "Vietnam." We won the war and we will win the post-war. |
| Posted by: BJD (The Dignified Rant) 2003-7-18 10:58:33 PM |
| #5 I remember just a week or two ago when attacks were INcreasing, according to the local newspaper. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2003-7-18 10:43:20 PM |
| #4 Don: It wasn't any better on the way out. We'd get a manifest from a division saying there were 30 Bradleys, 25 M-1's and 45 5-ton trucks on the Antares. The port load master would then send us a manifest saying that there were 19 Bradleys, 31 M-1's and 38 5-tons on the same ship. Finally, we'd get another manifest from the port of disembarkation stating that 26 Bradleys, 35 M-1 and 29 5-tons had been unloaded. Who was right? Who knows. |
| Posted by: 11A5S 2003-7-18 1:34:10 PM |
| #3 Ptah, such a memo would be baaaaaad. Troops would manipulate the reporting [like the old Vietnam body count thing] so they could get the response they wanted. At the end of GW1 the troops in the depot in Saudi were told they couldn't get home till all the vehicles and equipment was load for shipping home. I can not describe in few words the pictures I saw at the off loading stateside and Germany on the condition the vehicles were literally crammed into the holds. They were off loading Iowa and Illinois NG trucks in the shipping back at Hamburg Germany. Got to be real careful on how you instruct Pvt. Snuffy, or be ready for some creative surprises. |
| Posted by: Don 2003-7-18 10:19:06 AM |
| #2 Zero attacks is good, but if that number doesn't drop soon it will still be quagmire. [/sarcasm] |
| Posted by: Dar 2003-7-18 10:14:25 AM |
| #1 Perhaps there was a secret memo from the Pentagon? "First units to achieve and maintain zero attacks against themselves will be replaced by National Guardsmen and rotated home." Damn good incentive, if you ask me: Achieves everyone's goals and creates a climate less theatening to the N.G. units. |
| Posted by: Ptah 2003-7-18 10:01:34 AM |