'Frustrated' insurgents resort to drive-by shootings: US military

[Barrett808]

An ongoing sweep of the Iraqi capital has reduced car bombings but increased other kinds of attacks, according to a senior US military source.

"Car bombs are down, roadside bombs are down and we've captured around 1,000 suspects. But we can't declare victory," the source said of Baghdad's Operation Lightning.

Conversely, there are more drive-by shootings.

"We think that's another way, though much less effective, to keep up violence," the source -- who spoke on condition of anonymity -- told a small group of journalists on Friday.

The idea for Operation Lightning was put forward by the interior and defence ministries, he said, and announced amid fanfare in late May, reportedly involving 40,000 Iraqi security forces backed by US troops.

But the interior ministry later said there were no extra troops or police in the capital, simply that they were being deployed "in a more targeted way."

(more)

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20050610/wl_mideast_afp/iraqussecurity

[BlueEyedSon]

1. In contrast to when, previously, they expressed frustration by

blowing shit up?

:crazy:

[marmar]

2. "Frustrated" Pentagon...

resorts to more desperate bullshit stories.

[Supersedeas]

7. fight out in the open....like the Red Coats did.

Frustion does not motivate drive-by airstrikes--not the same kind of thing.

[bennywhale]

8. Yeah but the Redcoats had balls, the US army don't.

[Submariner]

16. I wouldn't say they don't have balls

I think it is more like they are put in an impossible situation of carrying on a losing war with too few combat soldiers on the ground to do anything but sit tight and defend the green zone. There is no justification for the invasion and subsequent occupation so the "spirit" to take it to the enemy is missing like our fathers had to defeat the Germans and Japanese in WWII.

I think our troops know now that they are not being supported by their republican leadership given the slow response to get them armor and the very low enlistment rate. If we have learned nothing else during this Iraq folly, we now know that most republicans talk the talk, but can't walk the walk (cowardice), thus the low enlistment rate.

[bennywhale]

26. I'm not insulting the individuals but

the post mentioned the Redcoats, and no matter how much you may hate them they were very brave soldiers compared with today. It was not uncommon for soldiers to be reprimanded for not sticking their chest out in the face of the enemy. The culture of the British army at the time and still to some extent today is "Give the buggers something to aim at." "Stand up tall" "Chests out" "Lets go to the buggers" I'm anti-war so don't take this as some chest thumping war cry please, but the British army's bravery far outweighs the Americans. If they are going to get their hands dirty they are at least prepared to pay the consequences. American rules of engagement are far more lax in terms of civilians and far more reliant on destroying an enemy (and thus civilians) by air than the British are.

[saigon68]

3. Can your say "South Central" ??????

how about the near North side in Milwaukee.

The COPS sure have STAMPED OUT this quaint local custom to get rid of Rival Drug Dealers haven't they ?????

[PurityOfEssence]

5. Sounds like a pretty effective strategy, huh?

Since the goal is to kill one or two soldiers each time, it sounds like a viable tactic. Two guys, one car; not much of an investment in time and materiel.

This must be driving you nuts; is that why you haven't been posting that much of late?

[leftchick]

4. It looks pretty effective to me...

A man inspects car of the Dean of the Basra police academy, Col. Karim al-Daraji, Friday June 10, 2005. AL-Daraji was assasinated by unidentified gunmen in Basra, Iraq Friday morning. (AP Photo/Nabil Al-Jurani)

And I suppose this was done with bullets??



Iraqis examine trucks destroyed in an insurgent's ambush near Khaldiyah, some 90 kilometers (55 miles) west of Baghdad, Friday, June 10, 2005. Insurgents on Thursday ambushed the convoy carrying U.S. supplies destroying several trucks and SUVs, there were an unspecified number of casualties. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

[gratuitous]

6. Cue Kevin Bacon hollering "All is well!"

While the crowd stampedes over him.

[Kipling]

9. There are several steps:

SLIGHT IRRITATION: Insurgents resort to hanging people.
EXASPERATION: Insurgents resort to smashing convoys.
FRUSTRATION: Insurgents resort to shooting people.
DESPARATION: Insurgents resort to blowing people up.
DEALT A DEATH BLOW: Insurgents resort to burning people alive.
FINAL THROES: Insurgents resort to kidnapping people.
BRINK OF DEFEAR: Insurgents resort to a bloody civil war with mounting casulties, chaos in the streets, rape, plunder, and ceasless killing.

[Geo55]

10. Oh , wait , I'm getting a '60's flashback.....

it's coming , hold on , here it COMES !

The U.S. military complained that the Viet Cong often appeared to be part of the civilian population, and thus U.S. troops could not tell the difference between the Viet Cong insurgents and peaceful civilians.

[daleo]

11. The language is surreal

It is getting to be like "Catch 22" or "Dispatches", where the language seems to depart from reality completely. When the resistance feels frustrated they resort to drive by shootings; when they are more contented car bombs are preferred.

[LibDemAlways]

12. "We've captured around 1000 suspects."

Where the hell are they keeping all of these captured "insurgents"?
Are there that many detention facilities in Iraq? Under what conditions are they being kept? Does the US think we can imprison the entire population of Iraq to keep the Iraqis from killing US soldiers and contractors? I see riots, chaos, civil war, and much more bloodshed on the horizon.

[Javaman]

22. This is like the Vietnamese body counts...

The only thing they don't tell us is: after they capture them, the enormous amount of them that are released because they have no evidence that these Iraqi's are part of the resistance.

Just like body counts and blood trails, it all means nothing. Just more promoting of the propaganda.

Colossal Jackass*

[damntexdem]

13. Oh, yes, just keep repeating to the American people:

"It's the insurgents who are frustrated. The American military is not frustrated. The American people should not be frustrated. It's the insurgents who are ..."

[indie_voter]

14. Somebody might want to let the insurgents know

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1538888

[hatrack]

15. But not the bombers who killed five Marines today . . .

Were they not "frustrated"?

No, no - I've got it!!! If they kill people in drive-by shootings, they're "frustrated", but if they kill them with IEDs and suicide bombs, they're "desperate".

Yeah, THAT'S the ticket. :puke:

[lebkuchen]

17. Reup bonus for SF NCOs for a six year commitment is $150,000

If that isn't "frustration" on behalf of the Pentagon to keep "boots on the ground," what is?

[Disturbed]

18. Have any detainees of the Bush Fascist Regime been ...

charged and tried with anything?

When a citizen of the U.S. can be kept in prison for almost three years with no charges how are the Iraqi detainees getting any justice?

[lebkuchen]

20. Yet, America isn't concerned about Bush's promotion of t/Patriot Act

which is so vague, voters are likely agreeing, in their muteness, to being taken out and shot in retaliation for the least bit of dissention.

[Name removed]

19. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Javaman]

23. These days, neither is the humvee. lol

[Name removed]

24. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Javaman]

25. Yeah, more a sardonic lol than anything...

Because, sarcasm would be cruel.

[geckosfeet]

21. pppbbbbbbhhhhhttttt. Put 'em all in jail is their strategy ???

Haven't they figured out that they will keep coming from out of the country?? Where do they think the insurgent leadership is? This is an endless exercise in tail chasing. They will have to invade the whole world an put it in jail !!

Its just like Viet Nam with slightly different driving politics. Namely the theocon ideology and oil.

[pinniped]

27. 'Frustrated' coalition resorts to indiscriminate bombing from the sky.

.