U.S. troops in Iraq powerless against bomb attacks

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L31511776.htm

RAMADI, Iraq, July 31 (Reuters) - The U.S. military commander of Iraq's biggest province said on Thursday American troops were virtually powerless to stop escalating booby-trap and bomb attacks on their convoys.

"Frankly there is little that we can do as far as force protection," said Colonel David Teeples, commander of the 3rd Armoured Cavalry Regiment in al-Anbar province, home to some of Iraq's most restive and anti-American cities.

Over the last two weeks, his forces have witnessed an escalation in attacks by improvised explosive devices -- TNT, plastic explosive and propane cylinders hooked to electrical wires triggered by remote control devices.

U.S. troops have responded by stepping up highway patrols in an effort to stop the bloodshed.

more

[saigon68]

1. HIGHWAY ONE--THE STREET WITHOUT JOY

VIET-NAM REDUX

un-real a guy named Bernard Fall wrote a book about this in 1956.

[DemoTex]

3. A ville on Fall's "La Rue Sans Joie"

Here is a picture I took of QL1 - the street without joy - between Hue and Quang Tri in 1971.

Also, I am reminded of my shock when I arrived at Tan Son Nhut and was transported in an army school bus with wire mesh on the open windows to keep grenades and other petards out. The bus stopped from time to time at checkpoints so MPs could use mirrors on long handles to check the underside of the bus for explosive devices, while I sat petrified watching. But you know that drill, too. Well, I realized then that I wasn't in Kansas anymore. Nor are we in Kansas in Bu$hco's Quagmire-on-the-Euphrates: Iraq-nam.

[saigon68]

7. SEE THIS ABOVE PEOPLE ----thanks DEMOTEX

THE MORE THINGS CHANGE----

THE MORE THEY REMAIN THE SAME----

Oh, and Bernard Fall was killed in Viet-Nam Part 2 The American War

Street Without Joy is about the FRENCH WAR

read this review

"Fall gives detailed accounts of communist tactics and the results that accrued to French commanders who refused to recognize the fact that, "the (tactics) book," they had been schooled under simply did not apply in Vietnam. Amazingly, the U.S. then deployed our troops to Vietnam, with our own officers schooled by the same, "book!" Gallantry, esprit-de-corp, machismo, and/or faith in a righteous cause were no more effective against well-laid ambushes in the 60s and 70s than they were in the 40s and 50s. The lessons of history were there for the reading. Why we refused to heed them is a mystery that still calls for an answer."

http://www.science9.com/Street_Without_Joy_0811717003.html

[0007]

12. A French General warned us about Vietnam

Eisenhower was smart enough to take his advise.

But we just had to have that cheap tungsten to keep the steel mills going.

[kentuck]

2. Yep..sitting ducks!

It's a gamble everytime they move...They don't know who is going to be next... It might as well be in the jungle..

[montana_hazeleyes]

4. Looks like parading

Udone and Queasy's heads on a platter didn't do a thing except make matters worse!

[pinniped]

5. So no more flowers?

Maybe they didn't have enough $5 bills to buy all the RPG rockets back. What a success, just like this illegal BS war.

[saigon68]

11. There are a lot of RPG's there

Apparently.

[DoYouEverWonder]

6. Now that they're tossing around the US dollars

I'm sure they'll get all sorts of cooperation from the Iraqis. Then the Iraqis can sit back and count their US dollars, while we go off on another wild goose chase.

Then they take those US dollars and go buy more grenades, so they can kill some more of us. What a plan.

[NickB79]

8. What a well-thought-out response

So, they keep gettting hit more and more by bombs placed alongside the roads, and their solution is to drive on these roads more (increased patrols)? Holy f**king shit, what is wrong with this picture?

[dbt]

9. And WE were accused of not supporting our troops!

What sort of commander puts forces into a position like this in the first goddam place?!?!

Shit like this is why war is only used as a last resort, NOT to make a profit for a few corporations.

:grr:
dbt

(Edited to thank our Viet Nam veterans for bringing their hard-earned wisdom to DU every day!)

[saigon68]

10. Much thanks to you too.

Been there, Done that--- in the service is called earing your stripes. in that spirit I offer the following.

What really pisses me off most about this, is that no one in the military today, has any balls whatsoever. Especially, the generals whose combined common knowlegde should have told them this whole little project stunk to high heaven.

Troops are dying because these fools appaently were too timid to suggest that the plans for IRAQ-NAM needed some fine tuning. Like, getting real policemen there to estabish order--- I could go on forever oh, well.

If I could see it, and many more at DU, not even ever in the military,

WHY COULDN'T THEY???