Comments on: U.S. Launches Biggest Air Operation Since Invasion End

By: Barry

Barry — Mon, 20 Mar 2006 16:11:02 +0000

James Joyner: "Has the Normandy Invasion ended? After all, we still have troops in Europe.

Just stopping by, to see how James was doing. Same old same old, I see.

By: Craig

Craig — Sun, 19 Mar 2006 07:40:07 +0000

Not only was the 'biggest air assault since the invasion' absent of any bombing, I saw a report that no shots were fired. Another example of the republican government manipulating the news for their own purposes (in this case, wanting to get out a story of Iraqi troops playing a leading role).

The halfway retraction here hardly is enough.

By: dj elliott

dj elliott — Fri, 17 Mar 2006 21:01:29 +0000

1. Look at the latest Battle Space Assumption map.
2. Plot where Samara is.
3. Plot where the clearing ops by Iraqi/USMC are.
- Do you notice that Samara is between three zones that the Iraqis own? And adjacent to I MEF zone.
- Do you think we turned those areas over without making sure the threat was managable first?
- Where do you think the terrs moved to under that presure?
- And what chunk of realestate do you think we plan to turn over next? "75% of Iraq turned over by end of summer."

Samara will be turned over to Iraqi Army control within next 3 months (probably sooner).

We are doing the house cleaning prior to hand over and introducing the new tennants (Iraqi Army and MOI's Special Police Commandos) to the local residents.

By: Robert

Robert — Fri, 17 Mar 2006 15:42:43 +0000

LDJ,

If you really want to see people who should feel stupid about their previous comments, check this out.
http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=2842

By: LJD

LJD — Fri, 17 Mar 2006 12:33:43 +0000

When do we start shooting people for treason?

Now that a day has passed, and news is coming from the operation, the crazy tin-foil hat-wearers ought to be feeling pretty stupid about their previous comments.

Keep talking, people are listening and you're making assess of yourselves.

By: Herb

Herb — Fri, 17 Mar 2006 02:08:39 +0000

I don't know who this guy Dave is but he surely is not an American. He is about the lowest life form I have seen on OTB in quite a while Perhaps he needs a Hellfire put right between his eyes and go to see Allah with the bomb on top of his head where he can be blown up again while saying goodbye to his 72 virgins if there are any over there.

By: Jonk

Jonk — Fri, 17 Mar 2006 01:19:33 +0000

Leftist Radio Air America was reporting a few minutes ago that the "bombing" was done without any authorization from the Pentagon or the WH...that the 101st made up a "bomb dropping mission" totally on their own. Air America was wondering how many more thousands would be killed in this operation. Huh? How can a radio "news and commentary" show put out such total rubbish like this? People listen to this crap and believe what they hear. Not good.

By: dj elliott

dj elliott — Fri, 17 Mar 2006 01:07:26 +0000

So far no KIA/WIA (enemy or friendly).
Just a bomb factory, uniforms, Iraqi Army IDs, and 41 detainees.

This was the fourth US-Iraqi Air Assault. The press normally does not report these. It must have been a slow news day.

Extract from:
U.S., Iraqi Troops Score Successes
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 10, 2006 ?

"Operation Glory Light" was designed to deny terrorists sanctuary and preempt enemy attacks in the Baghdad area. The week-long operation was launched March 2 with a joint air assault by U.S. and Iraqi troops into the Sadr-Yusufiyah area by soldiers of 3rd Battalion, 1st Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, and 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division soldiers.

Following the air assault, the soldiers were attacked by indirect and small arms fire. They also discovered a roadside bomb. Soldiers from the 6th and 9th Iraqi Army Divisions then moved into position to clear, search and secure roads and houses in the town. March 5-6, the 9th uncovered nine weapons caches, consisting of 131 mortar rounds, nine 50 mm mortars, 17 rockets, two rocket-propelled-grenade launchers, six AK-47 rifles, two BKC machine guns, and a large amount of bomb-making materials.

In total, U.S. and Iraqi soldiers found 26 roadside bombs, two car bombs and 15 weapons caches. The operation also involved seven firefights with the enemy resulting in the detention of 16 suspected terrorists, two terrorists killed and one wounded, officials said.

(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq news releases.)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Extract from:

U.S. Army and Iraqi soldiers look out the rear of a CH-47 Chinook helicopter as they are extracted after completing a mission to detain or eliminate insurgent activity southwest of Samarra, Iraq, on Feb. 27, 2006. U.S. Army soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment and Iraqi army soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 4th Iraqi Division were airlifted to and from objectives during the combined-joint operation. DoD photo by Staff Sgt. Alfred Johnson, U.S. Army. (Released)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This was the first US-Iraqi mission

Extract from:

November 23, 2005

Release A051123e

Air assault mission takes down terrorist stronghold

TIKRIT, Iraq â?? A joint Iraqi and U.S. mission against a terrorist hideout near Bayji uncovered a large amount of money and weapons.

The operation named Old Baldy was launched Nov. 21 by Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 4th Iraqi Army Division and â??Rakkasansâ?? from the 101st Airborne Divisionâ??s 3rd Brigade Combat Team. More than 30 suspected terrorists and a large cache of money, weapons and material were captured during the operation.

The air assault mission was centered on al Bayji Island, a 10 square kilometer land mass splitting the Tigris River north of Tikrit, Saddam Husseinâ??s hometown. The island has served as an isolated hideout for terrorists and criminals in the past.

According to Lt. Col. Randy George, commander of Task Force Leader...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

By: JT

JT — Fri, 17 Mar 2006 00:48:21 +0000

Pick nits much?

Oooh, a helo-borne insertion! Haven't done that since college. Why is the military so gay?

Maybe the confusion of bombs over the awesome helo-thing is this paragraph right after the initial quote:

"This is in line with Tuesdayâ��s Knight-Ridder report that our airstrikes have been quietly increasing over the past few months. In response, Kevin Drum observed, â��Bombs donâ��t beat insurgencies. The fact that weâ��re increasing our reliance on them is bad news.â��

So if confusion is King, blame the author.

My initial comment still stands; sounds like an air assault would be a bit more surgical, but I'm still pretty sure there will be collateral damage. Which, BTW, is why they hate us: we think American lives are more important than Iraqi (Arab) lives. "They" tend to disagree...

By: dj elliott

dj elliott — Thu, 16 Mar 2006 21:29:21 +0000

Dropping bombs is called an "air strike".
"Airborne Assault" is when you drop paratroops.
"Air Assault" is helo-borne insertion.
If you watched "Blackhawk Down" then you saw a small scale Air Assault.
Your inaccurate slamming comments demonstrate that you are clueless when it comes to military matters.
"Better to stay silent and be thought a fool, then to open your mouth and remove all doubt."
I think that quote originated with Sam Clemmens.
Ret USN

By: anjin-san

anjin-san — Thu, 16 Mar 2006 21:02:24 +0000

Yep, drop more bombs. That ought to do it. Worked so well in "Nam...

By: JT

JT — Thu, 16 Mar 2006 20:27:24 +0000

If a pregnant Iraqi woman is killed in an air strike, does that make George Bush pro-choice?

By: dave

dave — Thu, 16 Mar 2006 19:56:57 +0000

LJD, the only "terrorists" in Iraq are the British and the Americans. The Iraqis fighting them are heroes, not terrorists. The term "terrorist" should never, ever be used to refer to someone who isn't American or British. Please try to get your terms correct. In any case, this is just the desperate actions of a nation that is no longer a serious military power and simply can't admit that it has been defeated. They can drop all the bombs they like, but nothing can make them win. Losers lose, and there have never been bigger losers than those in the US military. We'll defeat them in Iraq, and then we'll defeat them on their home territory. It's just a matter of time.

By: Robert

Robert — Thu, 16 Mar 2006 18:54:36 +0000

This used to be called "wagging the dog" when Clinton did it.

By: dj elliott

dj elliott — Thu, 16 Mar 2006 18:51:11 +0000

If you are curious about how much territory has been handed over to Iraqi forces, watch the weekly Badhdad Brief by MG Lynch at:
http://www.pentagonchannel.mil/

Only 2 reporters bothered to attend this week's brief. Normally only about a dozen bother to show up and ignore most of what they hear.