Guerilla Actions in Irak

OK, I start this topic in order to differentiate between the Irak War, with its 2 campaigns 1990-1991, 2003, and the post-2003 period, characterised by guerilla and counter-insurgency actions.

I propose we should follow the iraki guerilla, terrorist and assassination actions, their level of military, psychological and political complexity.

And I think it should be better if we stay out of political comments whether the US should be there at all, whether the war is legit or not, WMDs, etc., and try to come up with raw data about actions on the ground.

Hope you'll be interested in contributing.

take care

Insurgents stage well-coordinated assault on Abu Ghraib prison

-- 40-60 insurgents involved
-- 2 truck bombs
-- 40 mortars
-- 40 minute firefight

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7366857/

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/02/24/...ain541815.shtml

Attacks on Samarra Police Station

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle...ion=focusoniraq


This post has been edited by Imperialist on April 02, 2005 10:03 pm

http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Afp...31/indexb_html/

http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/...on/11290223.htm

http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/world/11251784.htm


This post has been edited by Imperialist on April 02, 2005 10:11 pm

U.S. Forces May Have Beaten Iraqi General

By ROBERT WELLER
FORT CARSON, Colo. (AP) - Previously secret court testimony indicates an Iraqi general imprisoned by U.S. forces was badly bruised and may have been severely beaten two days before he died of suffocation during interrogation.

References to the alleged beating appear in a transcript, released under court order, from a military preliminary hearing for three soldiers charged with murder and dereliction of duty in the death of Maj. Gen. Abed Mowhoush on Nov. 26, 2003. A fourth soldier faces the same charges but waived a hearing.

During the interrogation, Army prosecutors claim Mowhoush was put headfirst into a sleeping bag, wrapped with electrical cord and knocked down before the soldiers sat and stood on him, prosecutors said. The cause of death was determined to be suffocation.

The defendants - Chief Warrant Officers Lewis Welshofer and Jefferson Williams, Sgt. 1st Class William Sommer and Spc. Jerry Loper - have all denied wrongdoing, saying commanders had sanctioned their actions.
According to the transcript, witnesses said others had also beaten Mowhoush days before the Army interrogation. Their names and agencies were blacked out.
Col. David A. Teeples, the men's commander, said during the closed hearing: ``My thought was that the death of Mowhoush was brought about by .... (blacked out) and then it was unfortunate and accidental, what had happened under an interrogation by our people.''
According to the transcript, Army special investigator Curtis Ryan testified that he found extensive bruising when he examined Mowhoush shortly after he died. ``So, at some point prior to the 26th, he had been beaten,'' Ryan said.
An autopsy revealed that Mowhoush had also suffered broken ribs, testimony showed.

The military closed the hearing to the public shortly after it began in December, but The Denver Post successfully sued to open it, and the proceeding concluded this past week in open court. The transcript was released Thursday and posted on the Internet.

Fort Carson's commander, Maj. Gen. Robert Mixon, will decide whether the soldiers are court-martialed, after he receives a recommendation from the investigating officer, Capt. Robert Ayers. No timetable was set.

04/02/05 23:22
Source: Associated Press

This post has been edited by Florin on April 03, 2005 05:11 pm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4411335.stm

Insurgents Hit Abu Ghraib Again

source: CBS

This post has been edited by Imperialist on April 05, 2005 01:15 pm

Hard times for yanks! Another type of Vietnam!!! An urban one!

Iama

Actually the recent trend in insurgent attacks has been toward Iraqi casualties -- particularly police, but government officials and civilians too. American casualties have dropped dramatically.

Off topic: Vietnam had its urban side too. The fighting in Hue during the Tet Offensive is only the most dramatic, there was lots of small-scale stuff, assasinations, bombings and the like.

US will never win the guerilla war if will not win the psihological war,or will broke the desire to fight of insurgents.Or,from what i see,there is very few person in Irak(and even in Golf area,except Israel)who want US troops on their teritories.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...aq_050405131014

Its total chaos out there.

Glad to see you're so excited and happy about it...

I am more worried by this than by the US casualties. Certainly the US can reduce its casualties greatly -- just withdraw into fortified compounds, and only come out armed to the teeth and looking for a fight. (If you're going to do this, you may as well just withdraw, but that is another issue)

The Iraqis have nowhere to go. This killing and kidnapping of officials and professional people has to be having an effect. I think it is very optimistic to expect that the new government is going to be able to reduce it, but that seems to be the only way out that does not lead to a bloodbath.

Full article at http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/02/24/...ain541815.shtml

Very interesting.

The US guys say they will stay until Iraqi forces are built up, but they also allow Mahdi militiamen to operate freely. Obviously eliminating that militia is a no go area, as it would probably add shiite fuel to a mostly sunni insurgency.
And both sunnis and shiites seem to ask for a withdrawal schedule.
Is it only a question of time until the shiites join the insurgency in full force?

Guerillas continue to target US bases

source: CBS

This post has been edited by Imperialist on April 12, 2005 10:15 am

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...aq_050421104530