Posted on 03/31/2003 12:26:33 AM PST by JohnHuang2
KUWAIT, March 30 — For an American military on the offensive, there may be no more distasteful term than "operational pause." The military prides itself on seizing the initiative and applying relentless pressure to defeat its foe. Continues.
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Coalition forces -- Still not losing after all these days
Saturday, Day 2 of a 6-day operational pause, ordered by U.S. commanders Thursday, brought another night of peace and tranquility to the beleaguered Iraqi capital of Baghdad.
Coalition warplanes rumbling over the ancient city, adhering strictly to the pause, paused to bomb relentlessly, blasting government buildings, Republican Guard positions, terrorist training facilities for peaceful Fedayeen and other key targets throughout Baghdad and outlying areas, including a huge military intelligence installation used by Ba'ath Party human rights loyalists to quash human rights -- especially of its domestic opposition.
Amid the billowing smoke after a peaceful night of heavy bombardment, with dozens of explosions rocking the capital, it became clear Allied forces were waging a major operational pause, exactly as trusty Reuters had first warned.
The bombing seems to grow heavier and more intense with each passing day of the operational pause, luminaries at Reuters have brilliantly noted, and, thus, Sunday brought even heavier pausing, with coalition warplanes, facing heavy anti-aircraft fire, pummeling the capital from every direction. Yesterday's pause reportedly shook the capital with 5 major explosions near the center of the city, including a strike on Saddam's propaganda Ministry, with telephone communications said to be severely disrupted after a steady barrage by operationally pausing U.S. and British bombers.
Another key target apparently hit Sunday: A presidential palace reportedly used by Saddam sonny boy Qusay. Reporters reported seeing flames billowing from the huge complex near the Tigris river.
U.S. troops just south of Baghdad, also adhering to the battle pause, pounded Republican Guard positions with heavy artillery, pulverizing the elite Medina division, said to be holding up so well it's lost more than 50% of its fighting force.
The operational pause didn't just encompass the capital, however, with coalition B-52 bombers dropping their pauses on strategic Kirkuk, a key oil center in northern Iraq, and nearby Mosul. Correspondents in the area reported hearing up to 5 major explosive pauses, sending untold numbers of Iraqi troops each on a date with 72 virgins.
As you know, women and children are viewed by Saddam's brave Ba'athist warriors as particularly 'dangerous', hence indiscriminate mortar attacks on women or children fleeing Basra, scene last week of incipient rebellion, continued unabated throughout the weekend.
While Saddam's lunatics were busy bombing civilians in Basra's market-places, Saddam's lunatics complained of bombing of civilians in Baghdad's market-places, accusing operationally pausing Allied forces of indiscriminate pausing. How dare you do what we do best?! One crowded market was apparently hit Friday, and Reuters, beacon of fairness and objectivity, naturally blamed coalition bombers.
Meanwhile, U.S. military leaders Sunday faced stiffer-than-expected resistance from media circles, with Rummy facing growing criticism for dragging the war out 12 whole days, when Desert Storm took only 40 days to wrap up.
The rosey scenario-ists, says the media, led the media to expect quick victory -- no more than in 3-5 weeks, tops. The Iraqi regular army, said the rosey scenario-ists, would largely fold, casualties would be light (no more than Desert Storm) and U.S. forces would face only pockets of resistance.
Well, 12 days into Operation Iraqi Freedom and
* The Iraqi regular Army largely folded (17 of Iraq's 23 divisions laid down their arms).
* Casualties remain light (less than Desert Storm).
* U.S. forces face only pockets of resistance.
In other words, the "rosey" predictions were wrong. Okay, maybe they weren't.
Still wondering why the public long ago tuned out media know-all arm chair commandos?
Anyway, that's..
My two cents..
"JohnHuang2"
As far as I've heard, only 4000 PWs have been taken, and there have been no large contacts (beyond a few at the border) with regular army forces. Well there was one group that tried to go south from Basra that the Brits lit up. There haven't been large movements over the roads either. There have been occasional reports of whole divisions surrendering, but they have all turned out to be false.
That this means the regular army has "laid down its arms", rather than that they are waiting inside cities, seems to me a mere guess. If they aren't PWs, how would he know? Abandoned equipment I suppose, but we haven't yet gone into the towns where they were deployed. We bypassed them instead.
Good point, friend.
I think our guys aren't taking anything for granted, though. God bless our troops.
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