Baghdad Rocket Attacks Are 'Militarily Insignificant'

DoD - American Forces Press Service ^ | Nov. 21, 2003 | Gerry J. Gilmore

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Baghdad Rocket Attacks Are 'Militarily Insignificant'

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 21, 2003 – Unconventional rocket attacks that struck the Iraqi oil ministry and two hotels in Baghdad today indicate insurgents' increasing difficulty in carrying out assaults against U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq, according to a senior U.S. military officer.

Donkey-cart-launched rockets hit the Palestine and Sheraton hotels as well as the ministry building, Army Brig. Gen. Mark T. Kimmitt, deputy director for operations for Combined Joint Task Force 7 in Iraq, told reporters in Baghdad press conference.

"Clearly, the enemy has been taking a look at our operations and realize that we are clamping down," Kimmitt explained, noting the insurgents "can't attack us and defeat us in a convention sense."

Consequently, the general noted, insurgents are now attempting to adversely affect the will of U.S.-coalition efforts in Iraq though attention-getting assaults on non-military targets like the oil ministry and the hotels.

An American civilian seriously injured in the Palestine Hotel attack was evacuated for medical care, Kimmitt noted, while another civilian at the Sheraton was slightly injured.

"But, these attacks … have had, frankly, no tactical value and they are militarily insignificant," Kimmitt declared.

Kimmitt noted that three of the four donkeys rounded up after the Baghdad rocket attacks were harnessed to rocket-launching devices.

Another donkey, Kimmitt remarked, was found carrying explosives and a propane tank. "You'd detonate the propane tank; loud boom, loud flash –- dead donkey," he concluded.

Why, Kimmitt rhetorically asked, would insurgents be "firing rockets at an empty (oil) ministry building on a Friday, which is (the) equivalent of a European Sunday?

"They're trying to grab headlines," he answered.

U.S.-coalition security and stability operations continue across Iraq, Kimmitt reported, noting that on Nov. 20 a U.S. soldier on patrol near Ghalibiyah, west of Baghdad, was killed by a booby trap.

Another U.S. soldier died that day and two were wounded when their convoy encountered two improvised explosive devices east of Ramadi, according to a U.S. Central Command news release.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

"But, these attacks … have had, frankly, no tactical value and they are militarily insignificant," Kimmitt declared.

Kimmitt noted that three of the four donkeys rounded up after the Baghdad rocket attacks were harnessed to rocket-launching devices.

Another donkey, Kimmitt remarked, was found carrying explosives and a propane tank. "You'd detonate the propane tank; loud boom, loud flash –- dead donkey," he concluded.

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Bang ~*
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Gen. Dempsey also sounded unfazed by recent quagmire-reporting at yesterday's briefing:

     ~    Brig. Gen. Dempsey Briefs on 1st Armored Division Operations in Iraq

 

GEN. DEMPSEY:  Let me repeat the question for those of you that didn't have the little airport earphones on.

            The first question was, isn't it somewhat counterproductive for me to degrade the capabilities of the enemy by calling him unsophisticated?  And I'll answer that.  And the second question was, is this a new tactic, using aircraft and fixed-wing aviation to shoot down into the city and into the outlying regions?

            Okay.  To the first, the enemy is neither 10-foot tall nor is he everywhere.  And so what we're trying to do is figure out who he is, what he is and how he operates.  And I'll tell you that in these cells, there is, as I said, operators up through those that command and control it.

            The operators are unsophisticated, and if they take offense to that, I apologize for it.   But -- no, I don't.  But they are simply unsophisticated.  I mean, they build contraptions.  They wire things together that sometimes work, sometimes don't.

            Now where I will give the enemy his due is that, as you climb up the hierarchical structure of the cell, they have been successful in commanding and controlling that cell without us figuring it out.  And so they've got some kind of communications capability, they've got some kind of planning capability, they've got some kind of supply capability that probably warrants the use of the term "sophisticated," but not at the operator level.

            Let me answer the second question.  The second question had to do with -- is this a change in tactic, by using aircraft?  And it absolutely is not a change in tactic.   The one thing I am blessed with is a chain of command that runs up through the president of the United States, who has essentially told me, "You do whatever you need to do, in a way that'll make your country proud, to finish that fight."  Now that's paraphrased, but that's fundamentally the kind of freedom I have to manage the fight in Baghdad, Iraq, as I see fit.

****

Q     Hi, General.  It's Lisa Burgess with Stars and Stripes. How you doing?  In late July, we were talking about some things that you were doing to make changes in your intelligence procedures.  I was wondering if you could talk about how that's been going -- apparently you've been doing some pretty innovative things -- and how that led to the action that you have under way now.

            GEN. DEMPSEY:  Yeah, Lisa, it's good to see you again.  I'm sorry you chickened out and went back to Washington, D.C., just as it got hot around here. 

[Poohbah]

The British describe reporters as PONTS.

PONTS = Persons Of No Tactical Significance.

[Alamo-Girl]

Bump!

[Ramius]

"loud boom, loud flash –- dead donkey"

hehehe... You just can't make this stuff up. Maybe it's just me, but if they're running out of trucks and cars and cement mixers and they're down to donkeys with propane tanks strapped on... on the whole I'd take that as a good sign.

[GreyFriar]

I just can't wait for PETA to come out with a condemnation of the iraqi guerrillas for endangering the lives of donkey's by attaching them to rocket firing carts.

[TexKat]

Bump

Thanks RC.

[RandallFlagg]

I said it before and I'll say it again: YOU ROCK!

You do know that your actions on FR are likely to be saving the lives of the troops, right?


And...BUMP!

[Heatseeker]

"But, these attacks … have had, frankly, no tactical value and they are militarily insignificant," Kimmitt declared.

Easy for you to say General!

And by the way, this donkey's voting for BUSH!

[lawdog]

"...Kimmitt explained, noting the insurgents "can't attack us and defeat us in a convention sense."

General, that's why they call it unconventional warfare..duh. Maybe the general should have said," The attacks are ineffective but nonetheless deadly to those killed." <p. With a quote like that he could get a job as a policy wag.

[sixmil]

I just can't wait for PETA to come out with a condemnation of the iraqi guerrillas for endangering the lives of donkey's by attaching them to rocket firing carts.

LOL, talk about a moral dilemma. I really feel bad for the donkeys though, shame how those animals treat animals.

[dglang]

They use animals for a lot of things. It's the terrorists way: http://www.nationallampoon.com/MoDstyles/newsflash/main/nf_osama.asp

[Pan_Yans Wife]

GEN. DEMPSEY: Yeah, Lisa, it's good to see you again. I'm sorry you chickened out and went back to Washington, D.C., just as it got hot around here.

ROTFL! Excellent!

[blackie]

Boom ~ Bump!