Battle Reveals New Iraqi Tactics (Yet more details of Samarra ambush)

Washington Post ^ | 12/02/03 | Anthony Shadid

[okie01]

Battle Reveals New Iraqi Tactics
Troops Startled by Fighters' Unprecedented Coordination and Resolve

Not so startled, however, that they couldn't beat the crap out of "unprecedented coordination and resolve".

Why do I get the feeling that the Washington Post was more impressed by these "new tactics" than the 4 ID was?

[El Gato]

Probably a dungeon underneath that mosque.
U.S. military officials said about a dozen attackers were seen running out of a nearby mosque and firing.

That mosque should be declared to have just lost it's status as a place of worship, and just gained one as a combatant HQ. Then it should be leveled, after being thoroughly searched of course.

[Billthedrill]

Sounds like they...tried to pull a Mogadishu, but it didn't work.

I think you nailed that one. This is what would have happened there, too, if a certain Commander in Briefs had authorized armor.

Oh, well, in April Saddam figured he'd send the Fedayeen after us in "technicals" and it'd work just like it worked on the silver screen. He was watching the wrong movie.

[mathurine]

Smack 'em up aside the head as often and as hard as is necessary to undo a thousand years of mohammaden baloney.

[hemogoblin]

LOL!

"They kicked us in the knee with their groin!"

[Poohbah]

One more time (the last time I plan to post this idea): This problem can be solved. The town of Samarra should be immediately surrounded. The announcement should be made loud and clear that the townspeople have two (2) hours to hand over the individuals repsonsible for this attack (the surviving ones). If not, then the entire town should be annihilated.

Great idea. Convince the Iraqis at large that we really are as evil as advertised.

A very few will know who is responsible--and they most likely will have their means of escape ready. The rest won't, and you'll make mortal enemies of their relatives.

We are NOT going to win the support of the individuals in that town nor in any of the others where our troops are being attacked.

Especially if we do cosmically stupid s**t like what you propose.

Anyone on here who thinks that we are going to win their support is totally mistaken.

Are you willing to have this rule applied to lawbreakers in your city?

It is not going to happen. The Sunnis (and the Baathists they support)are not going to allow the groups they suppressed rule over them and be alive to watch it happen.

Collective punishment of the innocent and sparing the guilty?

The Fedayeen would love your plan. You'll recruit more Fedayeen than you kill off--and you'll only kill the stupid ones. Natural selection will make...smarter Fedayeen that are more dangerous to American troops.

Some on here are slow learners.

You being a prime example, of course.

I am patient...it will take you a little while.

I am thoroughly convinced that you are too frickin' stupid to be trusted with anything sharper than a rubber ball.

[squidly]

The Iraqis are the most incapable, uncoordinated and stupid enemy this country has ever faced in battle.

China, you are for sure right about that. They haven't done the first single thing right in either war we've fought against them. One can only imagine how inept the Iranians must be, considering that they couldn't defeat Iraq even after eight years of trying. Another Vietnam my ass. The NVA and Charles would rip Iraq a new one.

[saquin]

I was just watching Nightline. (barf) It sounded like they were sorry it *wasn't* another Mogadishu.

We fought back hard and won this battle handily, but according to Nightline and somber-faced Chris Bury, "U.S. troops may have won the battle in Samarra.... but lost the war" because now the people of Samarra are mad at us (boo hoo). I guess it would have been better if we had rolled through there like sitting ducks and let the attackers kill our guys, then let the townspeople dance on the burning Humvees. That would have made the Samarrans happy.... and then maybe they'd like us, really really like us!

[BushMeister]

OK, three times is not a charm with the same comments on three different threads...

[saquin]

Oh, almost forgot. The other funny thing in the Nightline segment was the usual Arab "alternate reality" ala Baghdad Bob*. I swear, I don't know how these people lie with such straight faces. Everyone had a story. Like one guy blustering, "They are lying. Only 3 Iraqis were killed. There were many, many Americans killed!"



*There are no American troops in Baghdad.

[MattAMiller]

I hope they start using these "new tactics" a lot.

[McGavin999]

This isn't a change of tactics, it's a change of enemy. These are infiltrated foreign warriors. I know we don't want to admit it but I'd be willing to bet these are Hisbullah imported from Lebonon through Syria. Toss in a few of the locals and you get what happened.

Our boys need to hold onto their hats, it's going to be a messy ride the next couple of weeks. And then it's going to be over.

[Poohbah]

Look for a bunch of people trying to slip back OUT of Iraq.

[stlnative]

Witnesses described dozens of guerrillas in checkered head scarves brazenly roaming the streets in the heat of battle, U.S. soldiers firing randomly in crowded neighborhoods and civilian bystanders taking up arms against U.S. forces once the fight got underway.


Iraqi men comfort each other after a battle between U.S. troops and Iraqi insurgents in the city of Samarra, about 60 miles north of Baghdad. The man on the left owned a passenger bus destroyed in the clash; the other man's child was killed during the fighting. (Ahmad Al-rubaye -- AFP)

It looks like we missed a couple of them - what a shame (and what poor actors they are - what do you want to bet these 2 are guerrillas that were trying to kill our men)

[stlnative]

SAMARRA, Iraq, Dec. 1 -- Sgt. 1st Class Robert Hollis knew there was trouble even before the shooting started. As he stood guard in his M1-A1 Abrams tank outside a bank in this Sunni Muslim town, the usually busy streets suddenly emptied Sunday. Men hurried down back alleys, some running. Women dragged their children away from the positions of U.S. troops.

The attackers, the U.S. military said, were wearing garb they associated with fighters loyal to former president Saddam Hussein -- head scarves checkered in red or black and dark shirts and pants.

[Pikachu_Dad]

The one on the right looks kind of like Sadam.

[First_Salute]

Bump.

[AmericanVictory]

Exactly, these "civilians" are practically all combatants.

[Skywalk]

I disagree a bit.

I think back to Mogadishu and the Black Sea neighborhood that was completely under the sway of Mohammed Aidid. No one was a civilian, even children and women were picking up arms against the Americans. And the celebration afterwards was something we should have annihilated.

You see, civilians are the foundation to many political or social movements. I'm sure some Samarrans scurried out of sight like cockroaches because they were merely concerned about their safety, but it's also a clear a large number were aiding and abetting the Fedayeen.

Hell, the Fedayeen were running out of the local mosque--that says a lot to me.

If a lot of these "civilians" die it will be no great loss, because they are about as innocent as German citizens who cheered the Jews being shipped off in trains.

[ChinaThreat]

You are thorough my friend. There is actually a 4th thread that contains the same lines. Impress me and find it!