Analysis: Republican Guard's last stand

UPI ^ | 4/1/03 | Martin Walker

[Poohbah]

What do Saddam Hussein and George Armstrong Custer have in common?

Neither one had any idea where the fatal Tomahawk came from :o)

[johnb838]

If they try to counter attack it's going to be like Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg. Knee deep in blood.

Hair, teeth, and eyeballs

[Jim Noble]

The RG vehicles don't have rear-view mirrors.

Good thing, eh?

[trebb]

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.

I heard it too and had to grin.

Let's start the chant: MOAB-MOAB-MOAB-MOAB-MOAB...

[browardchad]

They left out "Elite" from the title.

I think the Republican Guard's stock has just been downgraded from "elite" to "endangered."

[Richard Axtell]

So far, all the maps I have seen on television and online, show the 82nd Airborne still largely in Kuwait. What if they are secretly in the Western Desert of Iraq, and will be part of the northern force that will come down and drive through the weakened Iraqi defenses, to take Baghdad while the bulk of the RG divisions have deployed to the south, in repsonse to the 101, and the Marines? This may be another "Hail Mary" kind of operation, that we will only fully perceive after the fact?

[BlueLancer]

"If they try to counter attack it's going to be like Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg. Knee deep in blood."

Or even worse ... Fredericksburg ...
Or Franklin/Nashville.

[expatpat]

But what else can they do if their present forces in the south are inadequate? It's Hobson's choice.

[madison46]

Man, they are doing things for us. GOOD!

[browardchad]

What if they are secretly in the Western Desert of Iraq, and will be part of the northern force that will come down and drive through the weakened Iraqi defenses

Quite a few people on FR think there's something in the Western desert of Iraq -- time will tell.

[Southack]

"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"

Speaking of which, France's 6 million strong army (800,000 of them were on leave when Hitler attacked) managed to lose their entire country from the first day of the German invasion (May 10, 1940) to June 20, 1940.

Which brings up the obvious question: will Hussein last longer against 100,000 U.S./UK troops than France's 6 million versus the 102 Wehrmacht divisions of 1940?

[ChadGore]

A good read.

[Redbob]

"...Red Zone around Baghdad, where local commanders may have authority to use chemical weapons..."

Seems like we should be making it clear that any Iraqi unit using chemical weapons WILL NOT BE PERMITTED to surrender!

That might give the occasional rational person something to think about...

[El Sordo]

"The settlers get to shoot from behind the rocks and trees, and wear any color they want. The British have to wear red, and march in a stright line."

[Trust but Verify]

Methinks we have a few aces up our sleeves. We MUST, MUST, MUST not allow this to become a battle in the streets of Baghdad. We are going to do whatever necessary to avoid that. And let's have those 4,000 jihadi's from Syria, Lebanon, etc, join the RG in hell.

[Redbob]

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

Who 'da thunkit?"

Ah, maybe that's "elite" with respect to the rest of the camel dung around there!

[Redbob]

"...our tanks also have and would rather use thermal imaging."

I'm guessing that a more important advantage is our computerized fire-control systems permitting our tanks to shoot "on the run" while a T-72 must stop to aim in order to have any chance at all of hitting its' target.

[browardchad]

Seems like we should be making it clear that any Iraqi unit using chemical weapons WILL NOT BE PERMITTED to surrender!

I doubt that they'll have the opportunity.

[Mark17]

a sixth RG Division, the al-Adnan, is also reported moving south from Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit to join them.

I wonder how they are getting there, without being blasted from the air? Who knows, maybe they are being blasted.

[BlueLancer]

"How long can you tread water?"