CNN: Apache helicopters shot up in Republican Guard attack

CNN live ^ | March 23, 2003 | cnn

[mikegi]

Live report from Karl Penhaul after Apache choppers attacked Republican Guards near Karbala (sp?). This is north of Najaf and WSW 70mi of Baghdad.

He reports that our Apaches were shot up pretty bad. The IRG put up a "wall" of AAA. After returning to base, Apaches were "strewn around" instead of being parked neatly. He wouldn't confirm that all our Apaches made it back.

[freepersup]

same here-

As we speak, 70,000-85,000 Kurds are joining up and will become part of the coalition forces, akin to what the local tribes in Afghanistan did. Northern front-

We have a couple of airborne brigade's in reserve (101 & 82)

The 4th ID is on the way. Their equipment will arrive in 36-48 hours.

The Special Operations Command continues to wreck havoc (out of the sight and sound of the imbedded reporters) much of which we won't find out about for some time or we may never find out about.

[cake_crumb]

"Geez, the Hammurabi division only has ninety T-72's. We killed 70. Sounds like the Air Cav had a good day. This leaves them with the equivalent of a couple of companies and BMP's."

Yes it does sound like they had a good day, whether the media wants us to believe it or not.

[Arkinsaw]

then were lead by the media hyping of the new hit movie 'Shockanawe'.

Oh come on. We dropped a gazillion leaflets, we went with heavy psy-ops. We "negotiated" with the enemy commanders. We put in bombing pauses. We named it Iraqi Freedom for psyops purposes. All of this designed to get the civilians to rise up, the army to surrender, and the leaders to flee. It was worth a try but they are not rising up, the commanders are not heading back to the barracks, and the leaders are not yet fleeing. We have heavier resistance than expected and our supply lines are not as safe as we expected.

It was definitely worth a shot. But it's time to change, and I am certain it will. If you think we should continue along just as we have on days 1-4 then I don't understand you.

[Paraclete]

It's good news the guard is in force outside of baghdad, rather than retreating into it.

Is it fair to say the "Battle for Baghdad" has actually begun?

[Kevin Curry]

We have heavier resistance than expected and our supply lines are not as safe as we expected.

How do you know this?

[Arkinsaw]

The game is changing. I had no doubt that it would. Hopefully the next time the Marines run up against a company of RG in a barn they will call in somebody to flatten that barn within two minutes without worrying about it.

[Antoninus]

I think all of us need to relax a little and not expect a one-week total victory with no casualties. Anyone who expected such is living in a fantasy land.

To use a football analogy, we're ahead 28-2 in the first quarter. Unfortunately, the other team's fans (media, commies, arabs) are concentrating on the safety they managed to score and our own fans are disheartened that we made an error that yielded points to the other team. Instead of going nuts and getting defensive, we should be chanting "scoreboard!"

[kerosene]

How about one of these?

[rivercat]

AC-25A Banshee...

That looks like something out of a Dale Brown book!

[freepersup]

affirmative-


roger that- air power/cover

[Paraclete]

Do they serve cocktails on the upper deck?

[Diddle E. Squat]

You really think that you know better than our military commanders at Centcom and in the field?

There's always a recruitment office where you can volunteer your 'expertise'...

[denydenydeny]

That CNN story is disgraceful beyond belief.

Reading it, you get the impression that Apaches tried to attack, but were driven off by the valiant RG.

I am really, really getting pissed off by the media's reporting of this war. Even Fox is little better.

[virgil]

Why do you want to get more Americans killed?

I did not say nor did I imply any such thing. I just made some remarks about my impressions. Impressions are the best I have since I do not have all the facts. I am trying to draw insight from other people. Thats all.

[Hildy]

I agree.

[Justa]

Forcast for Karbala, Iraq: Steel Rain.

[LaGrone]

We should hit these units right outside Baghdad with everything we have, thousand pound dumb bombs in B-52's even. To hell with some Iraqi civilians if they are taken out in the process. Protect our troops. They deserve the full measure of our protection.

[Polybius]

I watched the Umm Qasr battle. We played around with them for 4 hours when we should have had a big freaking bomb dropped right through the chimney of those two buildings. But did not because we want to avoid destroying "infrastructure".

That was not a "battle". That was a minor firefight in the large scheme of things.

In regards to "avoid destroying infrastructure", where did you hear that? The tanks were firing into that building and the infatry was rocketing the building.

The only reason we are even talking about that firefight is because an "embedded" journalist with a sattelite camera happened to give us four hours of live coast-to-coast coverage of it and it therefore monopolized last night's war coverage.

Airpower is not an unlimited resource and those Iraqis were moving from place to place. If you call in for an airstrike every time an Iraqi squad fires at you from a building anywhere in Iraq, there won't be much airpower left for the more critical targets.

[RnMomof7]

Reading it, you get the impression that Apaches tried to attack, but were driven off by the valiant RG.

But they did attack the Republican guard to soften the area for the ground troops that are on their way..I do not see the words as offensive..They also reported from their reporter that was enbedded with the choppers that they were hit with anti aircraft fire..I ~think~ there was a belief there was not alot of that left so it was safe to send in the low flying choppers..

God Keep Our boys..

[Arkinsaw]

How do you know this?

Well, considering that there were ambushes along the supply lines today it seems fairly obvious. The 3rd Infantry is rolling and not taking time to completely secure a supply line. There is no doubt that we have small dispersed Iraqi units (as seen at Umm Qasr). We have folks dressing as civilians and then attacking and such.

That doesn't sound too secure. The Pentagon briefing said that we have pockets of resistance behind the advance. Pretty clear.

I wouldn't think that a supply/transport platoon should be out in that environment unescorted (beyond their normal humvee w/MG escort). Based on video from this afternoon this has been corrected.