IRAQ - Incompetence Reveals Army Quality
Shades of Viet Nam or Deja Vu
From Tribune news servicesPublished May 16, 2007
BAGHDAD -- An explosion by a mortar or rocket wounded five U.S. Embassy contractors Tuesday in the heavily fortified Green Zone...
and don't forget this one
By KIM GAMEL, Associated Press Writer Wed May 16, 2:05 PM ETBAGHDAD - The U.S. military has offered rewards of up to $200,000 for information leading to the return of three missing American soldiers...
...Word of the reward was also broadcast over loudspeakers as part of a massive search involving 4,000 U.S. troops and 2,000 Iraqis, Lynch told The Associated Press...
...The soldiers attacked Saturday were assigned to a small patrol base set up as part of the new U.S. strategy to move troops from large, heavily defended garrisons to live and work among the people.
Critics of the strategy had warned that such small outposts are more vulnerable to attack. Last month, nine American soldiers were killed when a suicide bomber detonated his explosives-laden vehicle near a small patrol base northeast of Baghdad.
How can any sane or rational person think we will be able to stop these sort of attacks? History and logic dictate it would require a manpower commitment of truly gargantuan proportions to stop guerrilla attacks in Iraq.
And what is the wisdom in placing these young men and women out in the middle of nowhere with almost no protection? Sounds like typical behavior by the military commanders and politicians who support them. These commanders care nothing about those they command and are selfishly guarding their careers over the young soldiers who rely on them to keep them from unnecessary risk - which this is! General John Batiste is rare among the Generals. He resigned to speak his mind about the mismanagement and failure of leadership that is Iraq.
A handful of insurgents kidnapped 3 American soldiers and killed 5 more. Now they have engaged 4,000 Americans and 2,000 Iraqis in a large scale search. How will this affect the future strategy of the insurgents? Exposing American soldiers to such guerrilla warfare is a travesty.
Pretty soon we will need an "escalation" or "augmentation" to protect those who are part of the "surge."
Orwell must be spinning in his grave.
Update: This happened last year, before the surge. But I thought it was appropriate to my post - Officers faulted in Iraq mission that left 3 troops dead
