Guerilla Actions in Irak

Hi Imperialist,

I disagree. I think it is likely that many or most of the people reading our posts are likely to be unaware of the precise nature of sanctions against Iraq in the 1990s. Inaccuracies about US involvement in Iraq are legion. Some people even still think that the US was a major arms supplier to Iraq! (see Feldgrau).

However, even if we were all clued-up on the subject, it is as well to be as unambiguous as possible.

Cheers,

Sid.

Well, some people are in the dark, but I dont intend to start tutoring them if they dont know. I dont have time, I dont have patience for that, and I am not the right person to do that. There are schools for that, professional tutors, the internet and the quick search engine.
Some other people think that NATO is involved in Iraq...
But I think you underestimate the people on this Forum. I think they know more about international issues than others on the internet.

To be expeditive, and because I thought it is known which is the official world-wide sanctions/resolutions body + involved in Irak issue in the last 15 years, I said "US backed sanctions".
Ofcourse, you asked me if I think they are unilateral US sanctions and not UN sanctions, and I said ofcourse not.
Were I to deny that, and absurdly claim they are US unilateral sanctions, I think you and Victor and others would have been right in accusing me.

take care

Hi Imperialist,

No accusations, just a request that you tighten up the hard facts in your posts. I am also guilty of such sloppiness on occasion. This is not your monopoly.

Cheers,

Sid.

One freelance US journalist was killed in Bassra. 14 marines were killed in Bagdad when their amfibious assault vechicle was destroyed by a bomb; they were from the sama battalion who loose another 6 men some days ago (3rd Battalion, 25th Marines based in Brook Park, Ohio).

“This is a very lethal and unfortunately very adaptable enemy we are faced with,”
U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Carter Ham

"How do you spell Iraq? V-I-E-T-N-A-M."
one guy from a chinese forum...

6 snipers killed in ambush by iraqi rebels? Like others, i ask - ho it is possible to ambush a elite team who organized theyr own ambush? Something stinks ???

Iama

Hi Iamandi,

Where do you get the information that they were snipers? Besides, if they were killed in a vehicle, the deaths of six of any speciality (snipers, cooks, dentists, etc.) need not be surprising. However, if they were snipers and were killed while actually in ambush themselves, this would, indeed, be surprising.

There is currently no significant equation between Vietnam and Iraq. US combat fatalities in Iraq are about 2% of their Vietnam casualties and they are being borne by a much smaller and more robust force that does not include reluctant conscripts. Nor are the Iraqi insurgents anywhere near as threatening as the North Vietnamese main force units, which were potentially capable of over running major US fire bases. Finally, most insurgent activity in Iraq is concentrated in only four out of 18 provinces.

Things may change, but Iraq is certainly not to be equated with Vietnam at present.

Cheers,

Sid.

But it's stated by "one guy from a chinese forum" !

The 6 in question were on foot when attacked, and from the pictures released to the press they were snipers.

Hi Imperialist,

What do the pictures show? Remember, all British rifles have telescopes on them, and perhaps the Americans too, so this is no longer an indication of a sniper.

Cheers,

Sid.

I'll try to find the pictures, but I dont think I'd confuse a sniper rifle with a regular rifle with telescopes.

Sid, it appears there were only 2 snipers among the 6 dead.
CNN showed the picture of 5 snipers in happier times, but obviously that picture contained the images of the 2 KIA enjoying a group picture with other colleagues at their base, not meaning all 5 were KIA. (? maybe ?)
This picture is from the insurgents' video after the attack, showing the captured equipment:



This post has been edited by Imperialist on August 06, 2005 12:57 pm

Iama, you can look at some pictures from that attack here:

http://www.worldwar2.ro/forum/index.php?sh...=45&#entry36735

take care

Sid, this says all 6 were snipers:

http://www.armytimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-1014276.php

Don't go too much with this. I think you are confused... Articles were writed by others, not by "one guy....".

Sid, i read some articles were was writed this thing. At that time i was not included quotes from that articles, so i don't put the source. Now... i will try to find agains that links.

Iama

Hi Iama,

Don't bother to look for the links. Every time the US gets involved militarily anywhere overseas the faint hearts and anti-Americans start muttering about "another Vietnam" no matter how inappropriate the analogy. They are not making a genuine factual analogy, they are merely using it as a rhetorical device to discourage US interventions abroad.

As I have noted above, US fatalities in Iraq are currently about 2% of those suffered in Vietnam, most of Iraq is currently passive, the forces the US are employing are about a third of the size used in Vietnam, and, most importantly, because of 9/11 US public opinion is more robust than it was in the 1960s. So at the moment any Vietnam analogy has little basis.

Cheers,

Sid.

Hi Imperialist,

Two snipers out of six makes more sense. I have never heard of snipers being deployed as consolidated units, so I was immediately suspicious of the "six snipers" report.

Cheers,

Sid.