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2003-10-20 Iraq

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Posted by Murat 2003-10-20 10:45:27 AM|| || Front Page|| [6 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 are you guys sure that Iraqis are happy with the American âLiberationâ? It doesnât look that much!

Why is it necessary that the Iraqis be happy? I'm happy.

Posted by Shipman 2003-10-20 10:52:04 AM|| 2003-10-20 10:52:04 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 The US hopes the UN backing will persuade more nations to contribute troops and money to help stabilise and rebuild Iraq.

Actually, mostly money, but troops from reliable allies (this may exclude Turkey) would be welcome. Our guys have been there 180 days since the end of large scale combat and suffered just over 100 casualties. That comes to about one every other day. In Vietnam, the average casualty count was 30 per day - unsurprising, since our boys were engaging in combat against regiment- or company-sized units every day. (No real surprises there, given that the North Vietnamese Army and the Vietcong suffered in excess of 1 million KIA over 8 years - this means a NVA/VC casualty rate of 300 KIA per day).

At the end of the day, this guy Sanchez may need to be replaced, especially if he's not learning the lessons of counter-guerrilla warfare. I give him another month before the Pentagon removes him, if we start losing guys in twos and threes.

Posted by Zhang Fei 2003-10-20 10:56:48 AM|| 2003-10-20 10:56:48 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 To the Randburgers: are you guys sure that Iraqis are happy with the American âLiberationâ? It doesnât look that much!

Of course, it was Fallujah, the most anti-American city in all of Iraq. If you think they represent the attitude of all Iraqis then you haven't been paying attention.

Posted by g wiz 2003-10-20 10:57:32 AM|| 2003-10-20 10:57:32 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 Gee, Murat, I guess you won't be convinced unless we have 100% support like Saddam did. I guess we should just leave and let the whole place go to hell--we couldn't get every Ba'athist and rebuild the entire country in several months, so we should leave to make Murat happy.

Thanks for more anecdotal evidence that proves nothing!

Posted by Dar 2003-10-20 11:01:06 AM|| 2003-10-20 11:01:06 AM|| Front Page Top

#5 are you guys sure that Iraqis are happy with the American âLiberationâ? It doesnât look that much!

Liberating Saddam's supporters wasn't a war aim - liberating those oppressed by Saddam was. Saddam's henchmen are understandably unhappy about losing their meal ticket. When Saddam was deposed, the gravy train came to a screeching halt. Maybe we should turn the country over to the Kurds and the Shiites, who will take care of the unhappiness that Iraq's Sunnis are feeling - permanently.

Posted by Zhang Fei 2003-10-20 11:02:16 AM|| 2003-10-20 11:02:16 AM|| Front Page Top

#6 So...and why are we letting these guys dance on top of the wrecked ammo vehicle without dropping a 250-lb present on them?

Posted by mojo 2003-10-20 11:31:28 AM|| 2003-10-20 11:31:28 AM|| Front Page Top

#7 Sure, while the current casualty counts are exactly the first day on the Somme, this would all be a lot more tolerable if one were convinced that the administration had a more sophisticated strategy.

It may well be that since they didn't get the expected war, the administration is getting prepared to cut and run.

Posted by Hiryu 2003-10-20 11:49:23 AM|| 2003-10-20 11:49:23 AM|| Front Page Top

#8 US troops under fire in Iraq

In other news today, the sun rose at 06:20 this morning. Details at 11.

Posted by Bomb-a-rama 2003-10-20 12:24:53 PM|| 2003-10-20 12:24:53 PM|| Front Page Top

#9 Well, Murat, there is a new Iraqi blogger, his link is via Instapundit and other American bloggers.

He's a 24 y.o. dentist.

I especially like the liar, liar part.

Posted by Anonymous 2003-10-20 12:35:37 PM|| 2003-10-20 12:35:37 PM|| Front Page Top

#10 Sure, while the current casualty counts are exactly the first day on the Somme, this would all be a lot more tolerable if one were convinced that the administration had a more sophisticated strategy.

No amount of strategizing will prevent allied casualties during guerrilla warfare. The sophisticated strategy is to replace American troops acting as glorified security guards with Iraqis, which will take a lot of work, because we have to ensure they are politically-reliable (i.e. not working for Saddam, al Qaeda or the Iranians) and then train them. This will free up US troops to do what they do best - conduct raids against the enemy. We also need to reduce the number of troops in Iraq - this will reduce the number of supply convoys required, and hence, the number of targets presented to the terrorists. (It's our supply convoys that are getting hit, because they are soft-skinned compared to the combat units).

Posted by Zhang Fei 2003-10-20 12:48:56 PM|| 2003-10-20 12:48:56 PM|| Front Page Top

#11 Murat, we don't expect everybody to be happy. We're not even all happy here. But do you think the typical Iraqi was happier under Saddam? Do you want the world to be a better place, or are you just satisfied with finding glee in ambushes of folks trying to hunt down a tyrant and provide a basis for democracy? Grow up!

Posted by Tom 2003-10-20 3:18:34 PM|| 2003-10-20 3:18:34 PM|| Front Page Top

#12 Murat, the URL for the 24 year old dentist that anon mentioned is
http://healingiraq.blogspot.com/.
A great read.

Posted by Gasse Katze 2003-10-20 3:19:23 PM|| 2003-10-20 3:19:23 PM|| Front Page Top

#13 I am reading this at a library and do not have my WW I books handy, but I believe the casualities on the first day of the Somme were in the 1000s not hundreds. Anyway the comparision is silly. Rifle.

Posted by Rifle308 2003-10-20 9:49:08 PM|| 2003-10-20 9:49:08 PM|| Front Page Top

#14 I believe the casualities on the first day of the Somme were in the 1000s not hundreds.

21000 Brits were KIA on the first day of the Somme.

Posted by Zhang Fei 2003-10-20 11:44:11 PM|| 2003-10-20 11:44:11 PM|| Front Page Top

#15 Tell me straight out Murat: do you want the US to fail in Iraq or succeed?

Don't be shy. The truth is a good thing.

Posted by R. McLeod 2003-10-21 2:34:48 AM|| 2003-10-21 2:34:48 AM|| Front Page Top

08:16 anon
02:34 R. McLeod
02:29 R. McLeod
23:54 Zhang Fei
23:44 Zhang Fei
23:31 .com
23:10 Charles
23:01 Charles
22:59 NotMikeMoore
22:55 Charles
22:52 NotMikeMoore
22:48 NotMikeMoore
22:47 Charles
22:46 NotMikeMoore
22:44 Anonymous
22:42 NotMikeMoore
22:40 .com
22:39 Charles
22:34 NotMikeMoore
22:06 Gasse Katze
21:59 Anonymous
21:58 Dar
21:57 Robert Crawford
21:52 mojo