ONE DAY IN IRAQ

CENTCOM, various ^ | July 7, 2003

[Travis McGee]

Forty Seersucker anti-ship missiles were discovered and confiscated by 1st Armored Division (AD) forces in a Baghdad suburb. Coalition personnel will destroy the missiles.

WTF?????

Are these being "donated" by Iraq or Russia to use as anti armor missiles??

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Travis, our enemies - Saddam and pals - filled schools, hospitals, warehouses and homes across Iraq with mountains of weapons for the Iraqi people to use against us - within easy reach of even the children. Over 24 million Iraqis said, "NO" to Saddam - even knowing the risk to their lives from Saddam loyalists stationed in their communities to enforce control. They've been pointing out weapons caches - and bad guys - training and patrolling with us for months. It's a miracle what DIDN'T happen, what COULD have happened.

We're going to be hunting the Rats for a time. There are fewer of them today than there were yesterday - and far fewer than there were last February.

Are these being "donated" by Iraq or Russia to use as anti armor missiles??

Yep. Not often, and seldom ever again. The news accounts of US casualties rarely mention the fate of the attackers.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Good question, Chad. In my more generous moments, I blame press laziness. If reporters link on to CENTCOM news, they see a list of headlines that do seem to appear bleak. Each attack, each mishap and casualty rates a separate story and headline, while CENTCOM lumps all the daily humanitarian and security successes together on two different reports only. Each report could be broken down into dozens of separate positive stories. The list would then appear far different daily for the inquiring and careless press. Of course the Dems would then accuse the DoD of minimizing the casualties. The truth is just the opposite!

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Are these being "donated" by Iraq or Russia to use as anti armor missiles??

Man, I misread the question. Yes. Somewhere on the OIF threads, I transcribed some of Ollie and Rick Leventhal's reports from Baghad - northward to Tikrit, post Baghdad liberation. Ollie was especially incensed by the crates of RPGs, ETC., they found - marked Made in France, Russia - ammo from Jordan. Black market - or not - the force against us was (and IS) international (and domestic: pro-EU-UN-DNC).

[Travis McGee]

You can bet the Russians are eager to pay us back for the Afghanistan stinger missiles we provided in the 80s.

The French...ugh...

[america-rules]

yes

[Marie Antoinette]

WOW! Great post! I listen every morning to NPR (the only talk radio available on my way to school) and you'd think we're getting our behinds kicked around if that's all you every heard. Thanks for posting all this, it's very eye opening.

Bump

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

You are welcome. Unlike Vietnam, we have people on our side on the ground in Iraq with laptop computers - and daily briefings on the net from the DoD and military news sources, shared e-mail from friends and family serving. The power of the mainstream media to intentionally undermine a war and a President for partisan sake is eye-opening - and scandalous.

The first two links - the CENTCOM security and humanitarian logs - list the daily, detailed good works of the troops. The briefings from CENTCOM and DoD usually debunk most of the week's previous press stories...and reassure the country that we have adults of awesome character running the war.

*COALITION AND IRAQI POLICE WORK TO MAKE IRAQ SECURE

*COALITION EFFORTS AID IRAQ'S RECOVERY

*CENTCOM BRIEFINGS

*PENTAGON BRIEFINGS

[RobbyS]

The alliance between the American elite and the European elite is becoming ever more evident. This can be seen not only in the opposition to the war but in recent supreme Court decisions. The elite in the United States is far more liberal than the mass of the people. Take for instance the issue of religion. Americans are among the most religious people in the eorld; our elites are not. Someone has given the example of India being ruled by Swedes. The Republican party is one of the few national institutions not ruled by liberals and even it has a significant liberal minority.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

I know Robby. Both Clintons are regularly undermining the Bush administration. Both recently came back from Europe where they both undermined the current CIC foreign policy with sitting leaders of socialist nations that opposed our war in Iraq.

It is a major scandal by any reasonable measure.

*Hillary Clinton Attacks Bush, U.S. Intelligence Services in Overseas Interview

*Hillary: "New Political Icon" Clinton's European Triumph

*Clinton: NATO should intervene in Iraq - AFP ^ | July 12, 2003 | AFP

*Clinton urged to head NATO  - Aftenpost (Norway) ^ | Tuesday 17 June 2003

*Democrats Use Bastille Day, Internet Activism to Bash Bush

[UCANSEE2]

That we are in a war against terrorism, most know.

That many middle east countries were dominated by leaders who willingly supported terrorists, most know.

That some middle east countries were dominated by terrorists and their country's leaders were left no option but to pay tribute, and do their best to keep up a front of running their country, whilst mainly running, some know.

That terrorists have a new leader and organization to belong to, and want to take over one of the most powerful countries not in the middle east, few will acknowledge.

The new leader(s) are Bill and Hill. The organization is the dumbocaratic party.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Hope you don't mind my adding your awesome post to this thread. I've been mass e-mailing the link to neighbors, press and pols. Our troops deserve and need support from home - recognition of the important, dangerous and terrific job they are doing daily

A Brigade Commander's perspective of the situation in Baghdad as of July 14th

Posted on 07/15/2003 9:31 AM EDT by mark502inf

Greetings from Central Baghdad.

I took command of the 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division on 1 July; since then I have had two soldiers killed in firefights.

The Special Opns folks call my sector east of the Tigris River "The Hot Box," due to the number of engagements in it on a daily basis. This place reminds me of Max Max and the Road Warrior movies.

As predicted, I am living in interesting times, and am using every bit of the strategy education earned in ASAP and at the War College.

We are fighting former regime-backed paramilitary groups, Iranian-based opposition, organized criminals, and street thugs. We have stood up governing councils from neighborhood to district to city level.

We have conducted humanitarian action in numerous areas to include repair of electricity, water, sewer, hospitals, and schools; created refuse collection systems; and built numerous recreational facilities (particularly soccer fields). We have cleared hundreds of tons of UXOs and weapons caches.

I have already hosted Fox News, ABC, ITN, UP, Reuters, the New Yorker, and an Indian news service. On any given day I deal with the political realm of the Coalition Provisional Authority, the humanitarian realm of the NGOs, and the military realm of firefights/improved explosive devices/snipers/mortar attacks.

My BCT contains active duty, reservists, and National Guardsmen. The BCT has lost 4 soldiers since taking over the sector. The soldiers are staying focused and disciplined, and are getting more effective with each passing day. Our snipers have had some success of late - enough said.

Even though we are still being shot at daily, the vast majority of the population supports our objectives and just want to get on with their lives. We are doing some excellent humanitarian work, but it doesn't make the news because all the press wants to talk about is the attacks.

The infrastructure is up and running and the shortfalls in electricity, water, sewage, etc., are being addressed. We have local advisory councils of Iraqi citizens set up in Baghdad and a functioning city council.

The people we kicked out of power can't stand our success, however, and will do everything they can to try to make us fail. Thus the ongoing gun battles in the streets. There is also a lot of organized crime here. I have flashbacks to "The Godfather" all the time. As the military commander of eastern Baghdad, I feel like Don Corleone...or maybe a ward boss on the south side of Chicago.

The brigade was trained in high intensity conflict back in Germany, but quickly transitioned into urban combat operations once in Baghdad.

We had a visit from a team from the British Army experienced in operations in Northern Ireland, and we were already doing everything they talked to us about. In some cases, such as use of helicopters in conjunction with ground forces, we are ahead of them.

Special skills such as military police, civil affairs, psychological operations, EOD, and engineers are needed more in this type of operation. I have a reserve MP company out of New York working for me, and they are doing a fantastic job. The company commander is a New York City prosecutor in his other life.

It's 116 degrees here today, and I don't even get a cold beer - GO #1 strikes again. So yet another go-round with the extended Betty Ford clinic. At least I'm drawing combat pay.

I have a spare cot for you if you make it to Baghdad. My HQ is east of the Tigris River. Alcohol not allowed, but bring cigars. Otherwise, enjoy the summer and drink a cold one for me. Ready First! Pete

[america-rules]

Figures this thread died ?

[america-rules]

The thing is dead!

[america-rules]

ting