Iraqi's head South in force but why?

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
21

Doesn’t really matter:

British forces halt Basra breakout
12.53PM GMT, 27 Mar 2003
British forces have destroyed 14 Iraqi tanks and four armoured troop carriers making the latest of several attempts to break out of the southern city of Basra.

The latest encounter is believed to have been the largest tank battle involving British forces since the Second World War.

“It was a very quick, short, sharp engagement. They were all destroyed,” Group Captain Al Lockwood said.

US-led forces earlier said they destroyed most of a column of between 70 and 120 Iraqi tanks and armoured vehicles. On Tuesday, similar breakout attempt by up to 50 tanks was halted.

“The Army and airforce had a thwack at them and they didn’t get anywhere, let’s put it like that,” a senior RAF source said. “I think they got thwacked.”

http://www.itv.com/news/932108.html

NEAR NAJAF, Iraq, March 27 — American warplanes, including two B-52 bombers, decimated a large Iraqi column that was trying to use the cover of darkness and a sandstorm early Thursday to attack the U.S. Third Infantry Division about 80 miles south of Baghdad, U.S. commanders said.

THEY SAID the Iraqis made a major miscalculation last night, sending a large column of troops in trucks to attack the lead elements of the U.S. Third Infantry near Najaf.
The Iraqis apparently believed the column, which at times was as much as 12 miles long, would not be seen by U.S. forces as it traveled by night and in a sandstorm.
But U.S. J-STAR electronic surveillance aircraft, flying above Iraq, detected the Iraqis and called in the airstrikes.
According to U.S. commanders, the column got to within a mile or two of the lead elements of the Third Infantry, and began to engage in a firefight with U.S. ground forces.
But at that point U.S. F-14 and F-18 aircraft struck the front vehicles in the column, preventing it from advancing, and two B-52 bombers were called in.
The B-52s dropped more than 50 bombs, including J-DAM guided munitions and decimated the column. There was no word on Iraqi casualties.
But one commander referred to the Iraqi attack as a “suicide mission.”
http://www.msnbc.com/news/891508_asp.htm?0cv=CA01

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Yes, that’s what some American’s used to say during the Vietnam war as well…:slight_smile:

But the fact the Iraqi columns from Baghdad and Basra managed to successfully escape the ceasless US air attacks, and engage US-UK forces is significant enough. In fact it has left the US forces shooting at each other - quite a display of “friendly fire” I read. :hehe:

So we are almost into day 8 - wanna chance some more predictions…?

23

<~~~ Prediction

War costs more casualties than was ever imagined or expected. The warhawks are not re-elected.

A new administration elected to deal with the aftermath, which will of course blame the previous administration, but culpable in that they were involved in granting GBJ so much power.

(The people I am not going to vote for. Decided that aways back.)

<~~~ Hopeful

That even though the war was so horrid and terrible that Iraqi's and the mideast as a whole will have better lifes.

<~~~ Maybe

Trade deficit because of Mideast exports.

24

Well the info of troops coming down from Baghdad proved to be incorrect.

Not What America Expected

Last week, U.S. military intelligence reported that thousands of Republican Guard troops were on the move, heading to cut off the Seventh Cavalry and other units far in the front. That report turned out to be false—at least for now.

25

Cannot trust anything comming out of pentagon only when nailed to the wall by Al-Jazeera did they admit their loses… Until this is confirmed by other sources no one knows if this is true or false..

26

But but PA OG's frothing at the mouth at the prospect of massive Iraqi carnage was so endearing....you spoilsport you. I hear it was something like 4 tanks that moved their turrets to face south.

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[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Thap: *
But but PA OG's frothing at the mouth at the prospect of massive Iraqi carnage was so endearing....you spoilsport you. I hear it was something like 4 tanks that moved their turrets to face south.
[/QUOTE]

Are you implying 4 tanks == thousands of republican guards.. :)

28

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by PakistaniAbroad: *
Well the info of troops coming down from Baghdad proved to be incorrect.
....
[/QUOTE]

PA, would you mind telling me where in the article it said that information was incorrect. I couldn't read the whole article, I browsed thru it but couldn't find it. Thanks.

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End of seventh paragraph in main body...

or you could just search for "Republican Guard troops" on the page.

30

I saw the same news yesterday it was few trucks....

31

One of war rallies I attended here in USA, I saw a banner saying
M = Make
E = Everyone
D = Dumb
I = In
A = America

To much extent, it really is true. Every other report is being turned to false, ha ha. People are kept busy with unfounded reports.

32

I bet the Iraqi Army has Bunkers dug out in the sand to hide that are not even visible. I imagine something like the roof flips open and out come the tanks, kinda like a underground parking garage or something on that order...