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War Could Last Months, Some Military Officers Say [Thomas E. Ricks = DISCREDITED]
Washington Post ^ | Thursday, March 27, 2003 | By Thomas E. Ricks

Posted on 04/03/2003 2:37:44 PM PST by JohnHuang2

"...some senior U.S. military officers are now convinced that the war is likely to last months and will require considerably more combat power than is now on hand there and in Kuwait, senior defense officials said today....."

Snip "The combination of wretched weather, long and insecure supply lines, and an enemy that has refused to be supine in the face of American combat power has led to a broad reassessment by some top generals of U.S. military expectations and timelines."

Snip

"More forces are coming...But it will probably take the better part of a month for that tank-heavy division to get into position and provide combat power. Other forces heading to this region, including the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, at Fort Carson, Colo., and the 1st Cavalry Division, at Fort Hood, Tex., will require months to move their tanks and other armor from their bases into combat, the defense officials said."

Snip

"That traffic jam also has undermined Bush administration plans to quickly follow the U.S. military advance with tons of food and other humanitarian relief to win support among Iraqis. "There's tremendous fog out there," an officer said, referring to the confusion of wartime operations, with logistical commanders struggling to figure out where various supply items are in a system that at times resembles "just a bunch of guys out there driving around."

Snip

"Overhanging all developments in the war this week is the unsettling realization that thousands of Iraqis are willing to fight vigorously."

Snip "When Army combat operations resume, major adjustments are likely in strategic goals and targets."

Snip

"The sources said that some of the major assumptions underpinning the U.S. approach to Iraq are being discarded."

Snip "Finally, the resilience of the Medina division will be a major indicator of whether the Third Infantry Division can do the job by itself or will have to dig in and wait for help sometime in April from the Fourth Infantry Division."

Continue


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: armchairgenerals; handwringers; iraqifreedom; thomasericks; warplan
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Thursday, April 3, 2003

Quote of the Day by Brett66

1 posted on 04/03/2003 2:37:45 PM PST by JohnHuang2
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To: JohnHuang2
Damn quagmire.
2 posted on 04/03/2003 2:39:27 PM PST by JennysCool
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To: xm177e2; mercy; Wait4Truth; hole_n_one; GretchenEE; Clinton's a rapist; buffyt; ladyinred; Angel; ..

3 posted on 04/03/2003 2:39:46 PM PST by JohnHuang2
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To: JennysCool
Looking forward to seeing that "new war plan" that Peter Arnett told Iraqi TV that we were writing.
4 posted on 04/03/2003 2:41:40 PM PST by Illbay (Don't believe every tagline you read - including this one)
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To: JohnHuang2
This guy gets an "F" - wrong, wrong, and more wrong.
5 posted on 04/03/2003 2:41:43 PM PST by Mister Magoo
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To: JohnHuang2
bump for discrediting any retired-military pundit that has his head up his clymer.
6 posted on 04/03/2003 2:41:45 PM PST by RobFromGa (Real Americans Support our Troops 100%)
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To: JohnHuang2
John, if you keep "snipping" at Ricks, there won't be anything left.

(Not that there was anything there in the first place)

7 posted on 04/03/2003 2:41:49 PM PST by TomB
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Comment #8 Removed by Moderator

To: Mister Magoo
Mr. Ricks got nothing right: The very day after he wrote this piece of fiction, the Pentagon announced an extra 120,000 troops in the pipeline. The order was signed long before Mr. Ricks' article.
9 posted on 04/03/2003 2:44:48 PM PST by JohnHuang2
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To: JohnHuang2

I cannot figure out why people whose reputations are worth something to them continue to go out on a limb with these predictions, when the reality is following so closely behind them. The pronouncements of these "experts" are like racing tip-sheets bought on the way in to the track. We're all going to know an hour from now that their guesses were no better than anyone else's guesses.


10 posted on 04/03/2003 2:44:56 PM PST by Nick Danger (More rallys planned! www.freerepublic.net)
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To: TomB
hehe ;)
11 posted on 04/03/2003 2:45:25 PM PST by JohnHuang2
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To: JennysCool; JohnHuang2; yall
Damn quagmire.

Bitter Afghan winter back atcha . . .

Thanks for the ping JH2 !

12 posted on 04/03/2003 2:45:45 PM PST by MeekOneGOP (Bu-bye Saddam! / Check out my Freeper site !: http://home.attbi.com/~freeper/wsb/index.html)
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To: JohnHuang2
Finally, the resilience of the Medina division will be a major indicator of whether the Third Infantry Division can do the job by itself or will have to dig in and wait for help sometime in April from the Fourth Infantry Division.

The only thing "deader" than the Medina Division is the space between this moron Ricks ears.

13 posted on 04/03/2003 2:46:04 PM PST by Yankee
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To: Yankee
hehehe
14 posted on 04/03/2003 2:48:21 PM PST by JohnHuang2
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To: MeeknMing
Welcome, amigo :)
15 posted on 04/03/2003 2:48:36 PM PST by JohnHuang2
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To: Nick Danger
Bingo, Nick.
16 posted on 04/03/2003 2:48:58 PM PST by JohnHuang2
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To: Yankee
Her Ricks,

Don't look now, but we've "paused" our way right to the door of Baghdad.

What a useless turd.
17 posted on 04/03/2003 2:49:13 PM PST by Yankee
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Comment #18 Removed by Moderator

To: seventhcalvalry
April Fools was Tuesday.
19 posted on 04/03/2003 2:52:36 PM PST by JennysCool
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To: seventhcalvalry
I am afraid that once we get Saddam that may just be the beginning of this war.

Stop bogarting that joint, will ya?

20 posted on 04/03/2003 2:52:59 PM PST by Yankee
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