Analysis: Republican Guard's last stand

UPI ^ | 4/1/03 | Martin Walker

[Thebaddog]

Killing Ground. Good God, Almighty. This thing is going to happen.

[Wright is right!]

Yes, it's going to happen - and we have some other forces in theater that no one is talking about. I said here yesterday that this would be a truly remarkable week. Sit back and watch.

Michael

[wideawake]

The objective of coalition commanders is to destroy these RG divisions where they stand, rather than let them fall back into Baghdad to stiffen the city's defenses. Once inside the city, where they can take cover from coalition air power, they could be a much more difficult to tackle than they are now on the relatively open ground south of Baghdad.

I assume this means JDAMs behind their lines while marines and soldiers assault them from the front.

This could be a new chapter in warfare entirely.

[Wright is right!]

One thing to watch is SadMan's reinforcements coming in from the North. They can't get to Dadhbag under cover - the trip requires them to be in the open. Guess what. If any of them make it AT ALL I'll be very surprised.

Michael

[browardchad]

One thing to watch is SadMan's reinforcements coming in from the North.

I heard this morning that RG had already come south from Tikrit -- not very far, I'd guess, or just far enough to cut off retreat.

I hadn't heard about the two silkworms fired in the south, mentioned at the end.

[VOA]

bump

[aegiscg47]

The Republican Guard has won the toss and elected to receive!

[Grampa Dave]

I'm sure that we have set up killing zones around Baghdad like we set up in DSI in Iraq.

Our pilots, eyes in the skies and spec ops are working each killing zone 24/7. Whenever a RG tank or groups tries to move, they are history.

It is appears that who ever is left in charge of Iraq in Baghdad does not want the Republican Guard to retreat back into Baghdad. If the RG's find out that Soddamn has been dead since the first night, they just might take out what is left of the Iraqi leadership.

As Major Bob said about the RG's, we must kill everyone of them now or be forced to hunt them down one by one when Baghdad falls.

[BlueLancer]

REFEREE: "General Custer calls "heads" ... it's "tails". Sitting Bull, you win the toss."
(Pause.)
REFEREE:"General Custer, Sitting Bull says that you and your men have to wait at the bottom of the hill while he and all of the Indians in the world ride right down on you."

[Oldeconomybuyer]

You mean this 'elite' force won't last a week?

Who 'da thunkit?

[ken5050]

You know, the RG tanks that move south soon run out of POL, and they aren't being supplied.....we've cut any Iraqi supply convoys, and fuel tankers make really nice targets....thus, the RG divisions get where ever they're going..then they become static pillboxes......and dead real soon....amazing how our media, so quick to carp on supposed US logistics problems, isn't mentioning this..

[Oldeconomybuyer]

The coalition takes out the RG, the locals take out the Fujahadeen (sp) later. Simple and clean.

[shotgun]

"They are outmatched by the U.S. M1-A1 Abrams tanks, which can pick them off at a distance while remaining out of rage of the T-72 guns -- if the visibility is clear enough."

This "reporter" doesn't know that our tanks also have and would rather use thermal imaging.

[colorado tanker]

Looks like the Iraqis left the back door open just as the Big Red One is landing in the north. Oops.

[browardchad]

amazing how our media, so quick to carp on supposed US logistics problems, isn't mentioning this..

Yes, they've been talking about the RG moving South as if that's a bad thing

...come into my house, said the spider to the fly.

[aegiscg47]

Replacing wiped out units with units from the North of the city only to have them destroyed in turn is great strategy. Haven't seen this kind of military genius since France in 1940

[Stentor]

As Major Bob said about the RG's,

My favorite Major Bobism was that the "operational pause" was like a butcher sharpening his knife before starting work. Even the Fox crew got quiet.

[johnb838]

THE EUPHRATES AND THE TIGRIS SHALL RUN RED WITH THE BLOOD OF THOSE THAT OPPOSED THE FORCES OF THE GREAT JWHW!!!! LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-!!!!!

[Kozak]

They left out "Elite" from the title.