BASRA now considered military target!

CNN

[Hazzardgate]

Christine Amanpour on CNN reporting breaking news.....Basra now considered open military target

[over3Owithabrain]

I guess we now know why Saddam was praising the 51st. Maybe he's still in charge after all - DAMN!

[Ditter]

Darn I never get here in time to see the bad stuff & be offended!

[JasonC]

Oh horsefeathers. It just means they have decided to stop bypassing it and will now have follow on forces clear the city. It doesn't mean "free fire zone".

They wanted the Marines for the fight up north, so they bypassed. To make that happened, they issued some order, "don't push into Basra". That was the "forbidding" involved - ground troops, not fire.

Now they are "lifting" that order, because enough men have already made it around to continue the fight farther northwest. The Brits are behind the Marines, clearing out places. They have brought their armor around to the bridges on the north side of the city. Now they will take the place.

[crazycat]

It also seems that ytsdys 2 nd message from Sodemite was the signal to begin the guerilla campaign .

[merrin]

>>We need to shift strategic focus from the decapitation of the regime to the destruction of the Iraqi Army<<

Operation Iraqi Freedom will have to wait until Operation Destroy Iraqi Armed Forces is complete.

Surely they planned for this?

Surely.

I have no doubt that the possible failure of "shock and awe" to achieve a relatively bloodless victory was budgeted for.

It's a disappointment, more Americans and allies will die, and a lot more Iraqis will die, but it won't change the ultimate outcome.

[1Old Pro]

BOUT TIME.....Damned political correctness.

[RooRoobird14]

I think it means that Basra has been on Double Secret Probation, and as of now they are going to be on the receiving end of the Wrath of Dean Wormer

LOL!!!

I want our fighting forces to do what's necessary to accomplish the mission and STAY ALIVE. They're using reasonable care to not harm civilians, but the goal of "no civilian casualties" is ridiculous--especially when you're dealing with an @sshole like Saddam who uses women and babies as human shields.

[ffusco]

First goal to secure. Now to destroy!

[over3Owithabrain]

It means we're gonna open up a can on anything that moves in Basra. Our "nice guy" strategy didn't work (Duh), and I'm guessing the military guys told the political guys you'd better let us do our jobs. British and Amerian soldiers died because of the PR campaign of letting soldiers go back home. The worst part is we made it clear how nice we were going to be, so the Iraqis had time to hide behind the civilians and fake surrender. We now have to show them it isn't going to fly anymore and they're dead meat. Better late than never.

[aruanan]

No, oh Hazzardgate. This is what happens when you listen to this woman report what someone else did not say. If you had watched the military briefing this morning you wouldn't have swallowed this so uncritically. The Air Force general, in response to a question by a reporter from Al Jazeera (sp), said specifically that Basra has been a military objective but that 'military objective' doesn't mean 'target'.

[aruanan]

First goal to secure. Now to destroy!

No, sheesh, try watching the military briefings. Better to get the news from the horse's mouth than, as you did, from the other end.

[Hazzardgate]

Right, but last night at around 3:30am EST, all the networks were saying the same thing.....the pea soup of war continues....

[Protagoras]

Time to start organizing Basra's Shia population hungry for revenge against Saddam's thugs.

So far they don't seem to like us any more than they like Saddam.

[Jewels1091]

CNN has a reporter in there and that's what the military told her.

[ffusco]

According to news this morning, fixed wing aircraft are taking out military hardware.

[ffusco]

Just more fertilizer.

[Congressman Billybob]

Lemme try to straighten this story out. A junior officer of the Iraqi 51st contacted the Americans, and pretended to be the general, in order to get better treatment for himself. The actual general did not surrender, and when the fake general came out, only a few people came with him.

Does that clear that up?

Congressman Billybob

Latest column, now up on UPI, and FR, "Don't Trust My Words"

Latest book(let), "to Restore Trust in America."

[TankerKC]

How do I contact Admin?

Just click your heels together three times and say "I want my mommy! I want my mommy!"

[TankerKC]

The general at CENTCOM made the distinction that Basra in not a target, it is and objective. From the DoD Dictionary:

Objective 1. The clearly defined, decisive, and attainable goals towards which every military operation should be directed. 2. The specific target of the action taken (for example, a definite terrain feature, the seizure or holding of which is essential to the commander's plan, or, an enemy force or capability without regard to terrain features). See also target.

Target 1. An area, complex, installation, force, equipment, capability, function, or behavior identified for possible action to support the commander's objectives, guidance, and intent. Targets fall into two general categories: planned and immediate. 2. In intelligence usage, a country, area, installation, agency, or person against which intelligence operations are directed. 3. An area designated and numbered for future firing. 4. In gunfire support usage, an impact burst that hits the target. Also called TGT. See also objective area.

...for what it's worth.