the new york times Sleazebag MIchael Gordon writes about an intelligence report on helicopter attacks in Iraq.
Now, frankly, I think half thestory Bull-hockey
but in the story was some very disturbing information. Gordon may be a neo-con
banging the stupid drum, but, he did write something disturbing
After downing the helicopters, the insurgents often laid ambushes for the American ground troops they expected to come to the rescue, sometimes using roadside bombs that they placed in advance. American troops were attacked in five instances in which they rushed to the scene of aircraft that had been shot down, military officials said.
This should be a Huge warning to all people concerned about military operations
More after the jump
What this means to me, and I hope more experienced military types like
the SGT MJR and Jeff Huber can confirm this, is that various Iraqi
factions are planning for a spectacular operation.
From December to January, the number of antiaircraft attacks rose by 17 percent, according to an American military report.
and
attacks on coalition aircraft probably will increase if helicopter missions expand during the latest phase of the Baghdad Security Plan or if insurgents seek to emulate their recent successes,” notes the intelligence report,
say the insurgents plan to knock down a CH-47 hauling troops and 37 people on board are killed,
wounded or trapped say in a city or in rough country. A Quick Reaction force will be dispatched
to get them. This strikes me as being a company of men. That's 150 men
racing in column order to an enemy planned location.
If the insurgents set this up they can really chop up the QRF, setting Bombs, having men dug in
and luring more men into the trap. If there is some way to cut mobility, say blowing bridges
or mining roads, the QRF could be stuck in.
we could see in a 2 hour engagement 200 men killed or wounded before the enemy melts away.
now if they wanted to make a stand up fight, they could engage the rescue battalion that's coming,
behind the QRF, but that's a big fight and the insurgents aren't doing that yet.
but, it would be enough to kill 50-150 troops in one day.
during vietnam, the Viet-Minh had 2 big victories, one was Dien Bien Phu
the other was the destruction of GM100
GM100 was the final message that mobility was lost to the french and they initiated a ceasefire
and withdrawal.
now i don't think the bush guys are smart enough to recognize a disaster even after it happens,
but the people will
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