Danes Send SnowPlows to Iraq!!

BBCNews ^ | July 10, 2003

[ThomWilkerson]

Danes Prepare for Snow in Iraq

Denmark's troops in Iraq may dream of the frost of a Scandinavian winter on days when the temperature rises to a blistering 46 degrees.

But many may have been wondering if the military back home really had to rub it in when a recent supply shipment turned up a snowplough and a stock of salt for icy roads.

Baking in the heat and dust outside Basra, the 380-odd Danes could have been forgiven for thinking the lawnmowers also included in the cargo were a mirage.

"We admit that there were some mistakes made in the shipment of materiel," a military spokesman, Major Jan Brinck, told the AFP news agency.

The mistake appeared "comical", he said, as Danish newspapers were reporting shortages of essential items such as morphine and even stakes for tents for the soldiers stationed at Qurna, 75 kilometres (45 miles) from Basra.

"But we are trying to remedy the shortcomings and are working relentlessly to send the necessary materiel to our men," the spokesman stressed.

He might also have mentioned other reported complaints from troops such as getting bullet-proof vests the wrong size and being assigned ageing military vehicles given a last-minute reprieve from the junkyard.

Defense Minister Svend Aage Jensby has told one Danish paper, Ekstra Bladet, of his displeasure over the mistakes and has promised to put them right.

Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/middle_east/3054625.stm

Published: 2003/07/10 00:05:21 GMT

[ThomWilkerson]

And the UN is demanding that they should be at the forefront of taking care of Iraq???

[Support Free Republic]

Any way I can talk you into making a donation?? Thanks if you will!

[nothingnew]

"Crapgame" (aka Don Rickles) would have done a much better job.

FMCDH

[finnman69]

bwahahahahaha

What is the line about selling eskimos snow?

How about selling arabs snow plows and salt?

[The Red Zone]

when the temperature rises to a blistering 46 degrees

Celsius

[nevergore]

And the UN is demanding that they should be at the forefront of taking care of Iraq???"

Of Course! They would plow right through their opposition!

NeverGore :^)

[Cicero]

Surely the lawnmowers aren't completely useless. The troops could organize lawnmower races. That would serve to occupy their leisure time and simultaneously introduce the Iraqis to western ideas.

[Landru]

Well, this is no time to be ingracious.

...it's the thought that counts.

[Calvin Locke]

Well, maybe the plows could be used for land mine removal. They got me on lawn mowers, but maybe to create local dust
storms, or to scare away the roving packs of dogs.

Road salt, at least in the US, is mostly calcium carbonate. Its very good at absorbing ammonia [gas], and releasing it at
about 200 deg F. So, they'd be able hack together solar powered icemakers.

[MrConfettiMan]

LOL!

[Servant of the Nine]

Military Supply is the same teh world over

PING

So9

[foreverfree]

bump

[nothingnew]

For that matter, "Oddball" could do as well, with no "negative vibes, man".

FMCDH

[SquirrelKing]

March, 2003:

"...their tanks are burning, they are being slaughtered in the streets, they are bing crushed under our snowplows..."

[SquirrelKing]

bing = being

[NRA2BFree]

LOL!!!Priceless!

[Prodigal Son]

Hey they can use the rock salt in shotgun shells like they used to do in the old westerns.

[scholar]

...it's the thought that counts.

I bet any amount of money that if we engaged our collective brains, we could recall many similar actions by our oh so brilliant Congressional leaders.

[ThomWilkerson]

After I posted the original article, I'm now a bit confused whether the Danes actually sent snow plow(s) or simply snow shovels.

The BBC article showed a picture of a snowplow [snowplough?] (ie a 2-ton truck), yet Reuters @ Yahoo claims they were merely snow shovels.

Anyone know whether what term Brits call a 'snowplough' is either a truck or just a shovel??

[gitmo]

Remember that line in Hearbreak Ridge? Clint Eastwood (Gunnery Sergeant Tom Highway) is asked by a female officer what he thinks of a deployment excercise where his men were issued all the wrong equipment.

He simply answered, "Clusterfu**, Ma'am."