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U.S. Troops Ambushed in Ramadi, Casualties
Reuters ^

Posted on 07/06/2003 7:14:04 PM PDT by saquin

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I pray that any U.S. casualties were light, and I hope there were massive casualties to the attackers. I'm getting sick of our guys being sitting ducks.
1 posted on 07/06/2003 7:14:05 PM PDT by saquin
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Comment #2 Removed by Moderator

To: wokeupdismornin
It seems like most of the problems are in this town, parts of Baghdad, and Tikrit. The Brits are having far fewer problems, either we need more troops in these areas,

I think we need the inbeds with the troops and restricted elsewhere, and a daily progress report on what's going on in the rest of the country
3 posted on 07/06/2003 7:47:55 PM PDT by TheEaglehasLanded
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Comment #4 Removed by Moderator

To: wokeupdismornin
Do you think we released Iraqi POW's too soon, I'm wondering if the same guys we already defeated are fighting again.
5 posted on 07/06/2003 7:52:06 PM PDT by TheEaglehasLanded
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Comment #6 Removed by Moderator

To: saquin
its like what Patton said - you are either always on offense, because playing defense means your getting killed. We never get any details about these attacks, they must be attacking from civilian buildings; apartments, shops, hospitals, mosques, etc. And it doesn't sound like we are shooting back because of that. I don't know, its just what it sounds like to me. And they must be attacking from locations where they cannot be acquired from a chopper.

At some point, we may have to quiety re-assess whether it pays to police the central part of the country, Baghdad etc. There is no oil there, no ports, controlling the south, north, and western desert is much easier. Just train these "police" for a few days and send them out to work the streets, and use US forces only at the perimeter. Maybe a little anarchy in this part of the country will start getting the native people to see what it would be like with the thugs in charge. And if the thugs start to mass into any kind of credible force, like turning a building into a headquarters, we could then launch strikes from the air against those targets.
7 posted on 07/06/2003 7:55:19 PM PDT by oceanview
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To: TheEaglehasLanded
Here, here. As per usual, the endless stream of negativity is calculated to create political chaos at home.

It's more fun.

8 posted on 07/06/2003 7:55:28 PM PDT by zarf (fuggetaboutit)
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To: wokeupdismornin
MSNBC said 26 American soldiers this morning (since Bush announced the major battle was over) have died. IMO some (Iraq regime) were hiding underground, now coming up like rats (no relation to Democrats)
9 posted on 07/06/2003 8:06:43 PM PDT by RedBloodedAmerican
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To: oceanview
At some point, we may have to quiety re-assess whether it pays to police the central part of the country, Baghdad etc.

Talk about going on defense.

10 posted on 07/06/2003 8:06:59 PM PDT by vbmoneyspender
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To: zarf
I agree with you, Rueters loves to report as if we are just sitting ducks. These missions are to find these guys and kill them, it's not like our guys are on the way home from the movies. They're out looking for these guys. My only question is why don't we have an AC-130's overhead with thermal imaging to warn are guys at night, or even engage these Iraqi irregulars with their 40mm's and the Chain guns?
11 posted on 07/06/2003 8:07:33 PM PDT by MJY1288 (The Gifted One is Clueless)
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To: vbmoneyspender
A tactical withdrawal to a position that is defensible. Look at the details of some of the recent attacks, having a soldier standing on line to buy a soda or a DVD inside a city is not a defensible position.
12 posted on 07/06/2003 8:10:37 PM PDT by oceanview
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To: RedBloodedAmerican
MSNBC said 26 American soldiers this morning (since Bush announced the major battle was over) have died

Whoa! You don't know the sinking feeling you just created in my stomach! I read your sentence quickly at first (skipped right over the parenthetical part) and thought you meant that 26 had died this morning in the attack in Ramadi. You almost gave me a heart attack! I realize now you mean 26 since major combat ended.

Whew. Don't do that to me, man.

13 posted on 07/06/2003 8:12:04 PM PDT by saquin
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To: RedBloodedAmerican
Do you remember the Elite Republican Guard our troops expected to face? Basically there were none and reports were that they had put down their weapons and fled to their homes and came back in civilian clothes. I would bet they were ordered to run with the plans for them to come back as guerilla fighters to pick off our soldiers and create havoc in the country.

14 posted on 07/06/2003 8:13:30 PM PDT by PhiKapMom (Bush Cheney '04 - VICTORY IN '04 -- $4 for '04 - www.GeorgeWBush.com/donate/)
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To: PhiKapMom
I think you're right there PhiKapMom

The main battle may be over, but the war is not
15 posted on 07/06/2003 8:17:35 PM PDT by Mo1
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To: PhiKapMom
some of the fanatics maybe, but for most of them, they have nothing to fight for.

Notice that we have never had any battle damage numbers from the actual full scale combat operations released. Col David Hunt on Fox was saying that front line people personally told him they were carting away truck loads of iraqi bodies. Where is the official assesment? Those Republican Guard divisions, how many tanks did we destroy, how many troops did we kill? Does anyone know if that information was ever released?
16 posted on 07/06/2003 8:17:45 PM PDT by oceanview
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To: Mo1
I am with you -- the war is still being fought and now has moved into more of a war on terrorism as these thugs are nothing more than terrorist IMHO! They were terrorist to their own people for years and now are terrorist against the Americans.
17 posted on 07/06/2003 8:20:39 PM PDT by PhiKapMom (Bush Cheney '04 - VICTORY IN '04 -- $4 for '04 - www.GeorgeWBush.com/donate/)
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To: oceanview
I sure don't remember seeing an official assessment of battle damage. All I remember is the surprise of our military that the Elite Republican Guard and the even more Elite that guarded Saddam did not put up much of a fight! I would bet that Saddam and his two sons are holded up in the Tikrit area since a lot of problems seem to be coming from this Baath stronghold.

Would be willing to bet we have killed thousands and thousands of Iraqi's and terrorist from other countries that came into Iraq to fight the Americans and now cause trouble.
18 posted on 07/06/2003 8:23:37 PM PDT by PhiKapMom (Bush Cheney '04 - VICTORY IN '04 -- $4 for '04 - www.GeorgeWBush.com/donate/)
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To: saquin
There are probably four or more teams operating against US troops, identifiable by modus operandi. There's a small-caliber pistol killer, whose done 3 (including a Brit journalist); a sniper called the Hunter, who operates in built up Baghdad who has killed 3. Then there are the RPG and explosve road ambushers. Finally, there are the mortarmen who attacked Balad on July 4.

You'll notice there's a gap of about 3 days between the small caliber pistol hits and the sniper attacks, and about two days between RPG attacks. Not enough data on the mortarmen as yet. The teams almost certainly consist of the men trained in Soviet bloc methods: small caliber shots and the sniper. Even the mechanical ambushes are probably beyond the capability of the average Iraqi grunt. So the good news is that it isn't the farmers or Joe Iraqis who are attacking, but a small elite crew.

The gap between operations and the sameness of the geographical locale means that there aren't very many teams. Now has been effectively responding to the vehicle ambushes. A counter ambush day before yesterday resulted in all the attackers being killed. After the soldier was shot buying soda pop, the US cordoned off Baghdad university. They probably learned from the similar June 27 attack on a shopping soldier in Baghdad and hoped to catch the perp as he walked away.

The US strategy so far has been to find the links between Saddam central and his teams. About 500 guys have been detained in the three operations so far. There are probably countersniper teams out, plus plainclothes overwatch in selected areas. Maybe cameras, maybe Predator coverage in the minutes after an incident. Follow the car from the air, etc.

It's war. We win it or lose it. The Brits, for their part, have no trouble because they let most things slide. It will be worse for them in the end.
19 posted on 07/06/2003 8:24:54 PM PDT by wretchard
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To: wokeupdismornin
I pray we start getting some good numbers so we can know how much this is costing in lives.

According to my sources we are not getting the actual # of casulties and no I am not Rita Cosby.

20 posted on 07/06/2003 8:25:07 PM PDT by TexKat
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