Bulk of Iraqi army will not defend Saddam, former Baghdad air commander says

AP | 3/17/03

[kattracks]

WELLINGTON, New Zealand, Mar 17, 2003 (AP WorldStream via COMTEX) -- A former commander of Baghdad's air defenses said Tuesday that the bulk of the Iraqi military would not defend President Saddam Hussein - and that the elite Special Republican Guard will crumple when faced with U.S. forces.

Shamel Majid, now living in exile in New Zealand, said Iraq's armed forces were "just waiting for a spark" to abandon the regime.

His comments came moments before U.S. President George W. Bush gave Saddam a 48-hour deadline to flee Iraq or face a U.S.-led invasion. "The tyrant will soon be gone," Bush vowed as more than 250,000 American troops stood poised to strike.

Majid said that once U.S. forces start bombing Baghdad, military chiefs would abandon their formal command centers and direct troops from smaller bases in the city's suburbs, where they have hidden many weapons.

Whether there are troops to command, however, is doubtful, he said. The military's morale was low and equipment scarce.

"The reason they aren't rising up now is because the Americans have disappointed them many times in the past, especially in 1991," Majid said, referring to the first Gulf War. "They rose up (then) but the Americans allowed the Iraqi government to use weapons, even planes, against them."

Majid said soldiers of the Special Republican Guard, who were hand-picked from Saddam's own tribe, would fight on despite the rest of the army quitting.

But he said there were too few of the elite troops to pose a serious threat to U.S. forces.

Before fleeing his homeland and arriving in New Zealand as a refugee five years ago, Majid served as an Iraqi air force pilot, rising to command Baghdad's air defense center.

[D-fendr]

Perhaps a Hitler end, or a Mussolini end. Or killed and handed over by some of his own.

[Joshua]

I heard a military analyst on Fox tonight. He said we have no intentions of going into Bahgdad. We'll surround it and wait.

[ApesForEvolution]

That's great. You got that from the Minneapolis Red Star?

[Torie]

That raises the spectre of substantial civilian casualties, and death by a lack of provisions.

[ApesForEvolution]

"F-16"

"A-10"

"C-4"

LOL

[Trident/Delta]

TravisMagee, Harpseal,poobah and anybody with a Vietvet, CB, airborne or ranger embedded in his screen name.

OK, now I really feel left out...

Semper Fi

[ApesForEvolution]

I can only imagine how many iraqis will be slaughtered by the rep. guard once mass surrenders start occurring in Baghdad.

[sinkspur]

I can only imagine how many iraqis will be slaughtered by the rep. guard once mass surrenders start occurring in Baghdad.

And that will prove how ruthless Hussein's regime is and why it is a good thing to remove him.

The Republican Guard will all hang if they do such a thing.

[PhilDragoo]

Can't we all just get along?

[jwalsh07]

Sorry TD. You're now embedded.

[jwalsh07]

We just drive the Humvees to Saddam's residence, and say hi eh, sort of like in Black Hawk Dawn? I can't quite get the picture if there is substantial urban resistence.

No, exactly opposite from Mogadishu. If they enter Baghdad to hunt and kill, they will be loaded with the armor that Klink wouldn't authorise.

And then there's always the 2000 pound solution.

[jwalsh07]

Long time, no read.

[Texasforever]

Long time, no read

I have been mostly lurking lately.

[jwalsh07]

We keep your son in our prayers.

[ApesForEvolution]

So once again we hold out hope to the iraqi people and then sit by way overdue while the slaughter continues? No thanks.

[Texasforever]

We keep your son in our prayers.

Thanks but he came to the end of his second hitch about 6 months ago and is back in Houston. He is still subject to call-up but so far that hasn't happened.

[sinkspur]

So once again we hold out hope to the iraqi people and then sit by way overdue while the slaughter continues? No thanks.

No. Hussein will be gone, one way or another.

If the Republican Guard puts up a last defense by killing citizens, we'll kill them too, one way or another.

[jwalsh07]

Sheesh, time flies when you get past the half century mark.