Getting late and the eyes become bleary, and I will probably hit the sack soon. But a few things perhaps.
1). We are starting to train and supposedly will equipe the new Iraqi Airforce,with choppers, type yet to be named.
In addition as you probably are aware, we also are training a new Iraqi navy to protect their port areas.
2). Yes tanks such as the T55 that are still in operational form are now being used and we have transfered 7 tonner types vehicles to them to be used to transport men and equipment during some of their independent operations. I can envision more of their equipment that still exists will
be put back in service as we build them up.
A lite note: they sure as shit still have at least a 100,00 tons of ordnance we have not found and destroyed. And for all we know a lot may be carefully guarded at this point, say mortar, so that when they are ready for them, they will be made available.
3). Soon according to an article I just read, sorry don't have link, the Iraqi army shall be in control of Mosul area. Eventually allowing for our troops to relocate elsewhere as required, perhaps move a bit west to beef up area in northern Al Anbar below Turkish/Syrian border areas.
4). America has forked over a lot of bucks recently to Egypt as Egypt promised to be a honest broker in the Israeli/Palestinian negotiations.
5). Bashar Assad is shaking in his boots, and plays games because he has no options left. Perhaps he is trying to avoid a bullet in the head from one of his secret police croonies. He has face on humiliation after another for the past some ten years. His wits are running out. As a few folks at this forum who claim intimate knowledge about real allegiances and troop strenghts of the Syrian army have indicated, they may go down real quick if we decided to start targeted the camps mentioned here, amoung other things with cruise missiles. And we really don't know how firm and threatening our DoS and military advisors that interface with Syria may encompass. For all we know they may at this point be informed "really do better or expect some un-pleasant surprises". But of course it is a two edge sword. If Assad falls, Syria turns into a real nut house. Absolutely no control of who does what and who moves where at will. I think the POTUS wants this weak dictator to stay in power but start better eliminating the foreign inflow of goons into Iraq. Assad keeps belly aching they are doing all they can do. So keep applying the pressure.
6). No new news concerning Jordian in my opinion. Dekab has said nothing we did not already know.
7) I totally disagree with what Debka says about the insurgency gaining strenght. There are just to many articles that have been emerging in the past two months that indicated the opposite. We have severly damaged Abu Mussab Al Zarqawi's chain of command. He is on the run. We know this. As how many thousands of Saddamist and intermixed foreign terrorist are gathered up in these many current Army,Marine,Iraqi, and joint operations in which all there work as one, we continue to degrade their ability to build a new ground based, assuming hundreds a month are no longer getting through the newly border check points etc..
The borders are being better patrolled, and more now trained Iraqi security police are being put into place, again, freeing up our Army and Marines to plan and execute additional operations in both Al Anbar and the northern provinces downward into the Sunni Triangle and Triangle of Death AO. It must be noticed, our Marines continue one operation after another between roughtly Ar Ramadi northward along both sides of the Euphrates River to Al Quam area, continuing to round up more Ali Babba and kill em when they try to run or fight.
If this insurgency was so powerfull and well lead we should see literally hundreds of car suicide attacks every week. Hundreds of suicide goons running into crowds and into our humvees and convoys, checkpoints etc., with bombs strapped to their bodies, and platoon size or even company size insurgents attacking our patrols etc.. We see none of this.
What we do see is the continued hit and miss occasional suicide car bomb attacks and find terrorist killing and beating Iraqis as their towns are taken over. Lastly, DEBKA has been watching to much American L/MSM, and their brains are fried.
8). Thanks for the post and your analysis.
"We are starting to train and supposedly will equipe the new Iraqi Airforce,with choppers, type yet to be named."
Extremely good news and glad to hear it.
"Soon according to an article I just read, sorry don't have link, the Iraqi army shall be in control of Mosul area."
Also very encouraging.
"America has forked over a lot of bucks recently to Egypt as Egypt promised to be a honest broker in the Israeli/Palestinian negotiations."
I've noticed they've committed to keeping order in Gaza, apparently. I hope this works, especially being Jewish myself.
"Bashar Assad is shaking in his boots,"
His father was a horror, but he was strong. This guy is weak.
"If this insurgency was so powerfull and well lead we should see ... platoon size or even company size insurgents attacking our patrols etc.."
Appreciate your insight. Might the recent attacks be considered analogous to the Tet Offensive, in terms of the media analogy? The Tet Offensive was supposed to spark a Communist revolution in Vietnam. But the revolution never happened. Communist forces were largely destroyed in the offensive. But it won the war anyway, due to the media effect.
This phase, according to your analysis, indicates weakness in the terrorists. But they win anyway, if they start the American public on the path of retreat.
"Thanks for the post and your analysis."
Glad you liked it.