Iraqi rebels better armed than we first thought, say US marines

[norml]

Iraqi rebels better armed than we first thought, say US marines
By Oliver Poole in Baghdad
(Filed: 16/05/2005)

Iraqi insurgents have proved to be better equipped and more elusive than expected, United States marines have said at the end of a week-long operation near the Syrian border.



Many rebels wore bullet-proof vests and a number had Soviet-designed armour piercing bullets and night sights, equipment rarely seen previously in Iraq.

In one clash two marines were killed when militant fighters lay on their backs in the narrow gap under a house and fired through the concrete floor.

The end of the offensive, which saw US troops pulled back towards Ramadi on the Euphrates, came as Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, made a unannounced one-day visit to meet members of the new government in Baghdad.




snip




http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/05/16/wiraq16.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/05/16/ixworld.html

[Teaser]

1. Let's be honest about what happened here.

This mission FAILED. At best we weren't prepared to hold territory we had "taken". At worst, we actually failed to take the territory.

There's a word for withdrawing because the mission wasn't going as planned.

[killbotfactory]

5. a look at the casualty figures pretty much proves this

This mission was a failure, or "catastrophic success" as some like to call it.

[rocktivity]

2. Have you forgotten about the 350 TONS of ammunitions that were STOLEN?

:headbang:
rocknation

[IChing]

3. During Hue offensive

The US was surprised at the same thing
I thought the military said "because of the increased attacks we're winning" type crap

Rock the nation it wasn't 350 tons of ammunitions
It was 350 tons or 750,000 lbs of very high explosives where
one oz. can take out a hum-ve

[killbotfactory]

4. Who knew they would use it against us, though?

Nobody predicted we would become targets for angry iraqi's! Besides, we had oil to protect, dagnabbit!

:sarcasm:

[greenman3610]

14. actually the 350 tons was an understatement

referring to a specific store house that was
looted of explosives.
In all, the US left more than a million and a half
TONS of munitions unguarded after the invasion,
and that is what is fueling the insurgency now.

[teryang]

6. Someone misunderestimated the "enemy"

What did they expect? Cowards, weaklings, and stupid people? Isn't this the exact same hubris observed in Vietnam?

Similarly, they overestimated our technology, as they did in Vietnam. This war is just getting started.

[pie]

20. I talked to soldiers when this first started

They described in great detail the lethal firepower
the US possesses. You are correct, the US way overestimated
the advantage of technology - particularly when RPGs
are plentiful and plenty deadly, and the men behind them are seasoned fighters in the service of a just cause.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

7. Read the remarks made by the British towards the American colonists.....

...the colonists were called rebels, insurgents, and worse. Sound familiar?

[Karenina]

11. Then check out the complaints

by the Brits about how the Amis are handling the current situation...
('Specially considering they been there, done that, several centuries or so. :shrug:)

[bennywhale]

12. The British press has been full of anonymous military

brass fuming at the American methods.

One described their rules of engagement as "shoot, shoot again, if its still moving shoot it again, then shoot something else"

While the cuddly Brits were wearing berets and playing football with locals.

[damntexdem]

8. Hey, what happened to the light at the end of the tunnel?

Oh, yeah, just like in the early 1970s it IS there -- on a fast freight bearing down on us.

[Javaman]

18. It burned out.

This ain't no tunnel, it's a cave.

[hector459]

9. So much US military ammo, weapons etc have been stolen we won't say.

I would not be surprised if they didn't capture one of those drones and turn it against us.

[NNN0LHI]

10. Did these fucking idiots expect them to be armed with bows and arrows?

And perhaps some spears too? I read this crapolla and just can't help but shake my head. Took at least 25 dead Americans to find out they were not fighting Cochise and Geronimo? I really can't believe this shit.

Don

[Javaman]

19. Actually, if my memory serves me correctly...

Cochise and Geronimo were using US issued repeater rifles stolen from US Army cashes and sold/traded to them via the blackmarket. Funny how history repeats itself.

[pie]

21. I am surprised we haven't seen more lethal weapons

Thought they would have squirreled away some surprises
for the US.

[happyslug]

13. Where are they getting these supplies?

I know Saddam had a LOT of Ammunition in storage, but sooner or later it will run out. Furthermore Saddam had no access to the "Bullet-Proof" vests talked about in the Article. Where did Vests come from???? I suspect this is all Saudi Supplied, probably by the same people who are supporting bin Laden. I do not see anyone else doing it, Iran and Syria would keep any vests for their own troops in case of any expansion of the War by Bush. Jordan is NOT about to give anyone connected with Saddam or Al Queda any supply. Turkey is to worried about going into the Kurdish controlled part of Iraq to provide such vests to REBELS in Iraq. Thus the only remaining potential source is Saudi Arabia.

[Decay]

23. Syria.

As for Saudi Arabia? Saudi jets could strafe American units on the ground and still there would be no response from US. You want to know why?

Saudis bought 36 of these puppies from China. You really think they are armed with conventional warheads?





Also, do you think this is the full extent of Saudi arsenal?

[leftchick]

15. kick

:kick:

[symbolman]

16. Notice the word smithing here

"Russian designed".. probably Russians selling to them (of course no journalist wants to WRITE in a story that the weapons are FROM RUSSIA), or Germans, who will sell nukes to school kids for the right amount of money.

Irony Meter Broken.

We're the country that has sold weapons to EVERYONE on the planet, Bush Senior armed Saddam Hussein with AGRICULTURE monies in the 80's - the Russkies supposedly left about 25 or more suitcase nukes in Afghanistan when they split (their Vietnam), etc, etc..

For us to complain about the Indians having bazookas while the Cowboys have six shooters after the Govt SOLD them to them is the height of arrogance and stupidity.

In Vietnam my friends used to complain how a soldier would be walking around with $50 grand of high tech weapons on him or nearby and get killed by a Viet Cong who simply climbed a tree and made a bow and arrow...

Technology usually subdues every culture it comes in contact with, only there must be intelligence behind the purposing.

There is no intelligence being utilized by anyone that I can see, especially Chimpy McCokespoon and his wranglers.

This game has been over a long time.

[DoYouEverWonder]

17. The heart of the problem

is that Bush and his warmongers want this. They have no desire for peace or stability in Iraq or anywhere else in the world. Nothing would make them happier then to turn the whole world into Iraq, including the US. This is what they are all about. Death and destruction is the only thing that will feed this beast.

[CJCRANE]

24. Exactly -

sabre-rattling against Iraq's neighbours and not securing the borders is simply "enlarging the battlefield" as Wesley Clark said.

[Roland99]

22. Took them two *YEARS* to stop underestimating them?

:eyes: