Tactics Show Iraqis Learned Lessons of War

Washington Post ^ | Thursday, March 27, 2003 | Vernon Loeb

[RJCogburn]

Relying on harassing tactics never exhibited during the 1991 Persian Gulf War, the Iraqi military has inflicted heavy damage this week on two of the U.S. Army's most fearsome weapons, the Abrams tank and the Apache Longbow helicopter gunship.

---snip---

But when the smoke cleared, two Abrams tanks -- virtually impregnable, 70-ton behemoths -- had been shot in their soft spot, a rear grille covering the engine.

---snip---

On the battlefield, it was not immediately clear what weapon the Iraqis used to knock out the tanks. A senior defense official said yesterday that it was a French-made Coronet antitank missile.

[You Gotta Be Kidding Me]

"On the battlefield, it was not immediately clear what weapon the Iraqis used to knock out the tanks. A senior defense official said yesterday that it was a French-made Coronet antitank missile."

That says it all!!

[dennisw]

Not good. But 30 Apaches heavily damaged is inaccurate. If true, more would have been brought down. Just one was.

[Illbay]

More of the same bullsh*t. To hear these people tell it, we're in a "quagmire," "another Vietnam."

Give it a rest, folks.

[RogueIsland]

A senior defense official said yesterday that it was a French-made Coronet antitank missile.

Hmm. Can't understand why the French wouldn't want us to be poking around in Iraq....

[Common Tator]

heavy damage this week on two of the U.S. Army's most fearsome weapons, the Abrams tank and the Apache Longbow helicopter gunship

They disabled a tank... That means they shot the track loose. But the Iraqis have no weapons that can kill the tank or the people in it. They can't even stop the firepower of the tank.

Enough small arms fire can bring down choppers. But the US losses of all fighting machines in this conflict are at historical lows.

This is a much different task than kicking them out of Kuwait. But the Iraqis are getting killed and they will soon be reduced to small arms and mortars as weapons.

I don't care if it is house to house in the city. It will not be our riflemen in the street vs their riflemen in the buildings. It will be our men in tanks against their riflemen in the buildings.

An Iraqi shooting at a US tank with rifles, while our tank shoots at the IRaqi is no contest. In the city or in the country it is still no contest.

[Conspiracy Guy]

(SARCASM) Looks like it's over for us now we better come home.

[ffusco]

A senior defense official said yesterday that it was a French-made Coronet antitank missile.


They sold Argentina Exocet missiles too. The French are complete bastards.

[OldCavTrooper]

I wonder how long it's taking them to train their children to fire these missiles.

[RJCogburn]

They disabled a tank... That means they shot the track loose

The article says, had been shot in their soft spot, a rear grille covering the engine.

[chilepepper]

I thought from another thread the Koronet is Russian made, and fairly recent in design (hence and illegal arms shipment)?

[Lil'freeper]

I really wish the press would let go of the word "destroyed"....

Some Pentagon officials said yesterday that the attack marked the first time Abrams tanks had been destroyed on the battlefield. An Army official disputed this, saying the tanks "were not blown to bits -- they were rendered immobile. They're going to be evacuated and repaired."

[O.C. - Old Cracker]

More of the Left nipping at the ankles of the Bush administration's war effort. If it isn't Little Tommy Daschle yapping about our failed diplomacy, it's the Washington Toast, NYMimes, not to mention Chuckie Rose, Peter Jenkins and crew, Dan Blather and gang, and the Brokjaw battalion going on and on and on about how this retired general or this retired colonel doesn't think we have enough of this or that. Crap! These idiots at the Toast don't know one more thing about fighting this war than you or I! Or we underestimated the enemy and Iraqi soldiers are really tougher than any of our intelligence sources had even come close to estimating. It's instructive for strategic reasons to listen to what the enemy (i.e. liberal news sources) are saying about a given subject, but if we pay too close attention to the likes of "Lord Haw-Haw" we are in danger of believing their propaganda. There comes a point where we need to laugh at these naysayers and go back to the work at hand.

[uncbob]

the Iraqi military has inflicted heavy damage this week on two of the U.S. Army's most fearsome weapons, the Abrams tank and the Apache Longbow helicopter gunship.

Heavy damage ????????

These people are idiots

[KeyWest]

Not just idiots but hopeful that we lose. The tone of the article is that we are suffering massive defeat and it is all over because two tanks were disabled. Truth is, what was defeated was any intention in the future to allow any Iraqi to get behind us, so, now, any in front will be disposed of. This first week is actually a lesson learned period which will not be repeated. From now on, if it moves it is dead.

That is becoming apparent in the destroyed busses and any vehicle that even remotely resembles a combatant. Same with those not in uniform on the battlefield.

[an amused spectator]

The tone of the article is that we are suffering massive defeat and it is all over because two tanks were disabled.

Paraphrasing Christopher Walken from Joe Dirt:

"I don't like the way you're talking about my guys, Postie. The tone's all wrong." [eye twitch]
"Do it again and I'll stab you in the face with a soldering iron."

;-)