Occupation troops suffer more casualties

[bemildred]

Artillery?

US-led occupation forces have suffered more
casualties in Iraq with emboldened resistance
fighters continuing to mount fierce attacks.

Aljazeera's correspondent in the southern Iraqi province of
Maisan reported that "several" British soldiers were killed in
an artillery attack on a military base late on Saturday night.

A number of military vehicles were also destroyed in the
attack.

al Jazeera

[revcarol]

1. Thought the Brits were kindlier, gentler occupiers.

Guess they don't want any occupiers AT ALL.

Tony, get back from your vacation in Bermuda and attend these funerals.

Then, wash the blood off your hands."Out, damn spot."

[Eye and Monkey]

2. More casualties, like this soldier (photo)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3615703.stm

[John_H]

9. This is class warfare. Literally.

Every time I look at a front page combat photo, I'm reminded that most of the people doing the fighting and dying in Iraq are ~20 year-old hispanics or african-americans making about 20 k a year.

The guys making millions from the Iraq contracts are ~50 year-old white guys who make about 2 mil a year, much of which will be inherited by their kids who are currently busy binge drinking at the Sigma Chi house.

Somebody ought to point that out the next time Chimp dismisses the dem agenda as "class warfare."

[Ilsa]

14. You're right: minorities are disproportionately over-represented

among the foot soldiers and the dead. But they aren't the only ones. Some are your average, lower middle class white boys (and girls) hoping to make a little money and earn college tuition while they figure out what to do with their lives.

But what steamed me was the Army's new recruiting commercial where the freshly buzzed-cut hispanic man, about 19-20, is explaining to his almost tearful mother why he was joining up: because she always wanted him to get an education. I've only seen it once, though. Really played on their hot-button issues.

God Bless them all.

[Aidoneus]

3. interesting location

those people out there beat Saddam's army for years, took their equipment and used it against the army next time. One of their leaders (Iraqi Hizbu'llah leader 'abd al-Karim al-Mohammedawi) just suspended his position on the puppet council. They warned the occupyers against staying around too long..

[bemildred]

4. Many interesting things about that.

Using artillery requires a certain level of organization
and sophistication, I had not seen anything heavier that
mortars. Also, in normal situations I would expect these guns
to be hunted down and killed by air, so where is the air
support?

[aquart]

5. Very good question.

Have we heard anything about air support anywhere? Is it concentrated in one place? Or spread so thin no one even notices it?

[daleo]

6. Another article said that they got weapons from Italian forces

After overrunning a base in the south, I think (it might have been some other force, but I recall the story mentioning that they took coalition weapons). Maybe they got some artillery in this engagement, that they have now turned on the British. Alternatively, Saddam may have had a more complex plan worked out for the post-invasion period than the west has given him credit for. Or, it could just refer to mortars.

[murielm99]

7. Weren't there also weapons dumps that were left unguarded?

I read that soldiers were complaining that they did not have enough manpower to guard them.

[daleo]

8. Certainly ammunition dumps, I recall hearing about

I don't know if they would have had artillery, but it could be.

[smaug]

10. Artillery? Uh-oh -

As someone who *used* to know something about artillery (well, naval artillery), aiming and firing a piece isn't a simple matter of, 'well, let's point it this way and shoot 'er off.' No, accurate artillery fire would require a spotter and someone at the piece knowing what they are doing with windage, elevation, and a little mathematical ability.

This would mean that at least one (and probably considerably more) professional(s) from the Army or Republican Guard (no, not the Chicken Hawk binge-drinking brigade :D ) were involved.

Ouch - guess firing the Iraqi Army wasn't such a good idea . . . huh proconsul Bremer?

[Voltaire99]

11. Foolproof casualty reducer...

Stop invading countries that have done nothing to you.

[0007]

12. You have the right answer -

But it is more than apparent we want military installations in Iraq. Is it power, greed, oil or all of the three?

What it comes down to is who ever controls the oil controls the world.
King of the mountain thing we use to play when children.

[pinniped]

13. Probably those damm donkey carts again.

n/t