That's just a ridiculous argument. A 4.5 million dollar weapon system was repeatedly defeated by an improvised explosive device that probably costs less than a grand each. It's "hillbilly" so none of that matters? some military genius you are.
Total US Abrams losses for the war = 18. A reinforced Company’s worth...
since the March 2003 invasion of Iraq, with tanks in daily combat against the unexpectedly fierce insurgency, the Army says 80 of the 69-ton behemoths have been damaged so badly they had to be shipped back to the United States. That's from an article written in 2005 BTW.
Several of your photos are the same tank from differing angles.
show me which of those images is of the same tank from a different angle.
The last time that any Iraqi formation larger than a Battlaion fought against the US was May 2003.
and yet they still managed to take scores of tanks and BFVs off the battlefield not to mention the uparmor humvees after after 2003.
And mine-warfare is the weapon of the weak.
Weak? Again I ask you, where is our victory in Iraq?
Small scall unit actions [Bn and below] are LIC.
Maybe if fewer people thought that this was a LIC as you do, we wouldn't now be walking away as we are because I'm quite sure it wasn't LIC to the enemy. For that matter, I do not believe that the conflict ever qualified as a LIC just because George Bush thought major combat operations were over.
You are quoting the enemy propagandists - not citing fact.
actually I have cited facts. as Mark twain once said, get your facts first and then twist them anyway you want. that's what you're doing. LIC? 16 tanks destroyed in 9 years? Same picture-different angles? and now you have resorted to the last refuge of the scoundrel, questioning my patriotism. We're done here.
Read your own quote:
“Damaged” is not destroyed.
A tank without a track is immobilized and Damaged.
A tank with an engine burned out due to sand is immobilized and damaged.
A tank with the transmission worn out is immobilized and damaged.
etc.
Except for the track loss, the above are all depot level repairs that require shipping to the US since we don’t have a depot and never did have a depot in Iraq.
18 were lost = destroyed.
[Even counting damaged, that is 1 tank brigade. In how many years? Including the fighting with the RG. Iran has 1,800 tanks. Syria over 3,000. How is that military insignificant number of losses supposed to stop or even worry Iran?]
As to mine-warfare. Mines have existed since gunpowder was invented. They are nothing special and do not symbolize a capable force. Any kid could place a mine. That does not make him an effective soldier. Nor does mines or any fixed area denial weapon stop an invader.
That crap does not even come close to making the ISF a force capable of winning a fight with any of thier neighbors. It just illustrates your ignorance of what is military significant.
Iraq was mostly a propaganda war. The total losses [US, Iraqi, Iranian, etc.] were less than the per capa murder rate in any major US city. They never exceeded the murder rate in Venesuala or South Africa. That Is why it is called LIC - it was more in line with a high crime area and gang warfare. It was not large scale organized combat - it was Guerilla Warfare which is part of LIC.
Your continued claim that military insignificant losses to the US represent major abilities indicate you either believe the enemy propaganda or are an enemy propagandist. I tend to think the former since you have yet to provide a legit supporting argument. A propagandist would make a better argument.
You have yet to legitimately address the topic. Which is ISF capabilities. After all, we were allies with the ISF against the varies gangs that fought US in Iraq. Instead, you are trying strawman tactics that do not support your claim...
You do realize that your claim supports my argument about the ISF?
The people that attacked US Forces after May 2003 were/are the same that attack the ISF.
The ISF was on the US side of the insurgency.
Fewer than a dozen incidents of ISF shooting at US in 9 years - all were with personal arms, not IEDs...
PS The best mines used in Iraq were provided by Iran to their proxies in Iraq. EFP warheads are anti-tank warheads and the ones used in Iraq were made in Iran.
Used against both US and ISF by the Iranian proxies in the fight...
The US was not fighting the ISF. The US and ISF were fighting as allies...