Iraq sets oil-filled trenches ablaze round Baghdad

Reuters | 3/22/03

[kattracks]

Iraq sets oil-filled trenches ablaze round Baghdad

BAGHDAD, March 22 (Reuters) - Iraqi forces lit trenches filled with oil around the capital Baghdad on Saturday in an apparent bid to obscure visibility over the city, a target of air strikes by U.S. and British forces, Reuters correspondents said.

The correspondents saw at least two dozen fires raging around Baghdad, sending thick black smoke into the sky.

"We can smell smell burning oil in the city," one reporter said.

[Guillermo]

No, these fires were set by US Special Forces, just to give more work to Halliburton once it's over ;)

[Diogenesis]

"We can smell smell burning oil in the city," one reporter said.

The anchors then argued with him and blamed the USA.

[demlosers]

Trying to obscure laser guided weapons. Too bad it won't work against JDAMS and Cruise's

[demnomo]

You know, this sort of action can not be too reassuring to the people of Baghdad. From a strategic, environmental and defensive point of view, it is pretty lame tactic (to say nothing of being a potentially dangerous impediment to the inhabitants who may want to get out.) Hmmm. Maybe that last point is the idea. It is not done to counter the air strikes or keep the Coalition Forces out. It is done purposely to create more danger & casualities for the people of Baghdad. Evil.

[demnomo]

The anchors then argued with him and blamed the USA.

Which anchors? CNN? Peter Jennings? What biased morons. Some of those anchors are worse than a taquiyah-spouting (ie: LYING to save face) Arab when it comes to deciphering the truth. They want Saddamn and his thugs to win and the Coalition made out to be evil and fail.

[Conservababe]

Judy Woodruff just said "here are the pictured the Pentagon has been waiting for" as they showed the film of Iraqi people greeting the troops.

[Conservababe]

pictured should be pictures

[demlosers]

Here's a graphic from MSNBC.com. Can you spot the bias?

By line Michael Kinsley; is just another DemoRat shill.

[dennisw]

They are "necklacing" Baghdad. What a genius tactic of war! (/sarcasn)

[Piquaboy]

I am glad that someone reports the news. Peter Jennings was busily totaling up the cost of tomahawk missiles sent to Iraq instead of reporting the news. I like to keep an eye on the enemy. I still had to call Ralph on the porcelein telephone after seeing him.

[VRWC_minion]

Trying to obscure laser guided weapons

It occured to me that these fires could be intended to be a signal to Iraq's troops if communications went out to signal a pre-planned attack using chem and bio weapons.

Another possibility is they were intended to be used for ground combat and our guys fired them up so they burn out by the time we get there.

[L,TOWM]

This is a tactic that only gets used in attempting to complicate an imminent attack. This action makes a lot of noise...

[Piquaboy]

Ralph Nader and Al Gore will take care of it.

[Redleg Duke]

What you are saying is that the only communications systems left in the Iraqi inventory are smoke signals!

[deport]

LOL..... Indian smoke signals.....

Drums will be next...

[MeekOneGOP]

Reuters ! Sheesh . . .

[demlosers]

Good thought. Saddam's team knew they'd have trouble communicating and are now using low tech methods to communicate.

Indian smoke signals...the old signal corps wig wag flag waving system from top of hills? They also could employ a foot/vehicle currier system.

[Mamzelle]

What can they reasonably hope to obscure?

[rintense]

It wouldn't surprise me if Cheney lit the fires himself. ;)