Iraq army cancels leaves, mounts patrols to hunt down deserters

iraq press ^ | 7/24/02

[knak]

Amman, Iraq Press, July 21, 2002 – The Iraqi army command has cancelled leaves as tension mounts in the country over a possible U.S. military attack.

Informed sources told Iraq Press that the army has suspended regular military leaves and declared a state of high alert.

Meantime, military police units which pursue deserters have carried out spot searches of residential areas in Baghdad amid reports of a substantial increase in army desertion rates despite a presidential pardon.

Residents say the police have set up checkpoints at Baghdad's main interjections and highways leading to the capital.

The campaign coincides with an upsurge in military activity in the region in recent months amid speculation that Washington might invade the country to oust President Saddam Hussein.

On Thursday, U.S. and British warplanes attacked targets in southern Iraq. Iraq said five people were killed and 17 others were wounded in the strikes which, according to a coalition statement, targeted military sites.

British and U.S. planes patrol two no-fly zones set up after the 1991 Gulf War in northern and southern Iraq.

The authorities are stepping up their campaign to crackdown on the slightest form of dissent.

The residents said a confrontation between military police units and ordinary citizens in the district of Habibiya in Baghdad resulted in the burning of an army vehicle and wounding of several soldiers.

The incident took place after the police stormed a house and captured a deserter in the same area.

[rodeocowboy]

I have changed my mind on this issue. Going to war with Iraq is silly and a waste of money. We need to bring all of our troops home, along with all of our "foreign aid" money, and our UN money, and let all of these countries do their own fighting until they have killed each other off. Then, when we can mail all of that money back to everybody who paid taxes last year in the form of a rebate and watch the economy pick up faster than it already is.

What do you think?

[Jhoffa_]

Oh Yeah, well it's still gonna be the "mother of all wars" ya know!

(The final cringes of a terrified man and pathetic his army. Frankly, I am suprised Saddam isn't the only one left in Iraq. Drinking scotch and muttering to himself.)

[Redcloak]

It could be that we're just gonna jerk them around every 28 days. Think of it as PMS. (Pre-motherofallbattles-syndrome)

[gunshy]

Not til October, about 2 weeks before election day.

[dead]

Thanks for the link. Interesting developments. I would imagine, if it's August, the carrier groups will start moving any day now.

Wouldn't reserve callups be coming very soon too?

[FreedomFarmer]

Iraq Army...patrols to hunt down deserters...

Desertion: also known as French Leave.

Can't pass up a twofer.

[blam]

Alabama Activates Tank Unit

[Tallguy]

Iraq has a sizable Christian minority...

I read somewhere that Tariq Aziz (formerly the Iraqi foreign minister, and now the deputy prime minister) is a Christian.

[Tallguy]

if it's August, the carrier groups will start moving any day now

The USS Abraham Lincoln just collected its air wing, including the latest variant of the F/A-18, and put to sea. Still, I'm guessing September at the earliest.

[Saturnalia]

In other news, the Iraqi Republican Guards surrendered to a French camera crew for the fifth time today....

[fogarty]

That would actually be the "Mother of all Surrenders"

[PsyOp]

Run Away! Run Away!

[section9]

You can bet that any air suppression campaign will start in late September or early October, the way I'm looking at things. The most important mission early on will be SCUD suppression. This mission will include the entire Israeli Air Force. We will not be about the business of being "politically correct", since the Saudi's have been playing a double game and Bush has had quite enough of them.

At the same time, Special Forces will begin commando raids aginst selected targets. Think of it as hit and run guerilla warfare on the model of Stirling's first SAS units in North Africa in 1941. SEALS, SF, the Aussie SF, Force Recon, DELTA, and of course, the granddaddy of them all, the Special Air Service regiment, will be rampaging all over Iraq hitting targets of opportunity and assassinating "uncooperative" Iraqi generals while leaving the more pliant ones alive for postwar reconstruction. This war will be sniper heaven, btw.

Don't be surprised if Uday, for instance, ends up dead or captured.

If there is anything to this pre-Election Assault rumor, than look for October to be the month when infantry starts moving in to accept "cease resistance" leaflets from Iraqi commanders (this avoids the humiliation of surrender) while they move in and annihilate the bitter enders.

Be Seeing You,

Chris

[Species8472]

The moon is also new on Sept 9. I am putting my money on the air war starting on the 1 year anniversary of the terrorist attack.

What a way to commerate 9-11 than with fireworks over Baghdad!

[LibKill]

Weird. We haven't done anything and they are already scattering.

[Tallguy]

I expect that the Scud Hunt will be conducted mostly on the ground, and most probably staged out of Kurdish & Jordanian territory. The USAF wasn't too effective at suppressing the scud activity from the air last go 'round. I don't expect that we'll be any better this time when we are expecting the Navy to carry the load. Those F/A-18's have pretty short legs.

[another cricket]

Weird. We haven't done anything and they are already scattering.

The word is out. The Americans are pissed and looking for a fight. And they win. Desert Storm wasn't all that long ago and Afghanistan was just a few months ago.

Also they expect W to finish what his dad started. It is a cultural thing. Blood feuds last for centuries over there. 12 years is yesterday.

a.cricket