You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Submit your comments on this article
Iraq
78 Weapons Caches Uncovered in Baghdad
2006-10-17
Oh. In seven days. Only 21 found on Friday. But all in Baghdad.
Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers continue to find weapons caches for a seventh day as part of Operation Commando Hunter.

The Soldiers from 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, seized 21 caches Friday, bringing the total to 78 caches seized in the area near Yusufiyah, 20 miles southwest of Baghdad.

The 21 additional weapons caches consisted of three blocks of dynamite, 21 120mm mortar rounds, five 60mm mortar rounds, 80 7.62mm rounds, an AK-47 assault rifle, three rocket-propelled grenade launchers, five RPG rounds, an improvised rocket launcher, a Meals, Ready to Eat bag with explosive materials in it, 54 20mm anti-aircraft rounds, three 105mm artillery rounds, seven 82mm mortar rounds, an improvised-explosive device hidden in an? air compressor, a sniper rifle, four 82mm mortar tubes, a 14.5mm receiver barrel, 17 rigged and ready to use IEDs, an anti-aircraft gun and various bomb-making materials.
Posted by:Bobby

#4  The "huge arsenal" gets very little media coverage. I would like to see a summary of munitions (by weight/type, not by count) discovered and destroyed in Iraq since the invasion. I'm guessing it's in the range of hundreds of tonsso far, and no telling how much more remains to be discovered.
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418   2006-10-17 19:08  

#3  good question, WX. When we went in 2003, one of the reason I thought this could NOT be like Viet Nam, was cause the VC relied on weapons over the ho chi minh trail, which we always had difficulty cutting off, and which came from sanctuary in the North, etc. Here, if weapons came across the borders,A. the terrain would be easier to patrol than So Viet Nams western borders, and anyway we'd apply full force against the neighbors if necessary.

This analysis proved faulty.

1. The Saddamite regime apparently stockpiled HUGE arsenals (relative the needs of an insurgency) across the country, and even after over 3 years of hunting, we havent tracked it all down (nor have the baddies used it up_
2. Despite the lack of jungle, the Iraqi borders are not easy to patrol (esp the mountain border with Iran, I think) Also of course, we have far fewer troops than in Viet Nam, so we rely on Iraqis to do that job, mainly. And given the continued need for the best Iraqi units to fight the insurgency, the ones patrolling the border are not the most efficient or honest, AFAIK.
3. With strained relations with our allies, a divided homefront, a homefront that has not been asked for sacrifices, etc, etc, the admin has not been able to see its way to threatening war with Iran or Syria purely on the issue of smuggling weapons. Perhaps this is also an issued of adequate evidence, which gets to ongoing intell problems.
Posted by: liberalhawk   2006-10-17 11:31  

#2  no
Posted by: sinse   2006-10-17 10:16  

#1  Is there an end in sight to hidden weapons ?
Anybody ?
Posted by: wxjames   2006-10-17 10:06  

00:00