23-01-2003 08:36									#1
	The troops are ready. What are we waiting for? Support Apolyton, buy Alpha Centauri

This was in the news today

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm..._pe/us_iraq&e=3

Our troops could easily attack Iraq right now and win. The general said that Iraq has not even mobilized its troops. Lets do it! What are we waiting for? Are we waiting to win the French over? Forget them. Are we waiting on the perfect weather? We can fight in any weather. Lets do it now.

	23-01-2003 08:42									#2
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our troops? you cuban? eh?

	23-01-2003 08:48									#3
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quote: "Should any Iraqi officer or soldier receive an order from Saddam Hussein or his sons or any of the killers who occupy the high (offices) of their government, my advice is don't follow that order because if you should do so, when Iraq is liberated, you will be treated, tried and persecuted as a war criminal," Bush said.

So, if I]it were the other way around, American soldiers can be epected to be treated as war criminals by the Iraqi's?

What an idiot.

ACK!

	23-01-2003 08:50									#4
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Bush is the most moronic President the US has had in living memory. How can defending your country from belligerence be a war crime?

	23-01-2003 09:00									#5
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Because there are a number of countries that are opposed to declaring war on Iraq with the evidence we have in hand. Declaring war without support from our allies (other than the 51st state, the U.K) would strongly decrease American standing in international affairs.

Unfortunately it seems that they've finally broken Powell, the one voice of reason in that entire cabinet. So you may get your wish.

	23-01-2003 09:36									#6
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quote: Originally posted by UberKruX our troops? you cuban? eh?

I'm American. Just messing around with a Cuban flag

	23-01-2003 10:01									#7
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quote: Originally posted by DuncanK This was in the news today http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm..._pe/us_iraq&e=3 Our troops could easily attack Iraq right now and win. The general said that Iraq has not even mobilized its troops. Lets do it! What are we waiting for? Are we waiting to win the French over? Forget them. Are we waiting on the perfect weather? We can fight in any weather. Lets do it now.

We can't fight (with all equipment) effectively in any weather - no army can. And the US doesn't have the logistics setup for any sustained offensive. Iraqi mobilization in and around Baghdad won't take much time, and the Iraqi army has nowhere's near the complexity of logistics "tail" that the US has.

Most of the number of troops quoted are air, naval and support forces. The US has well less than three combat divisions in theater, including USMC and US Army forces, and there isn't enough manpower there to establish meaningful security zones around Baghdad OR Basra, let alone secure supply lines between Kuwait and either of those cities.

	23-01-2003 11:01									#8
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Don't believe the press reports on numbers and deployments and especially not those words coming directly from Myers. Who knows what we have in theater.

	23-01-2003 12:10									#9
	Re: Re: The troops are ready. What are we waiting for? Increase the size of your Attachments

quote: Originally posted by MichaeltheGreat We can't fight (with all equipment) effectively in any weather - no army can. And the US doesn't have the logistics setup for any sustained offensive. Iraqi mobilization in and around Baghdad won't take much time, and the Iraqi army has nowhere's near the complexity of logistics "tail" that the US has. Most of the number of troops quoted are air, naval and support forces. The US has well less than three combat divisions in theater, including USMC and US Army forces, and there isn't enough manpower there to establish meaningful security zones around Baghdad OR Basra, let alone secure supply lines between Kuwait and either of those cities.

Well, they say they do. I kind of believe them. I think the've been partially ready for this for a very long time.

I think they mean that they could start the war. I don't think they are saying they could capture Bagdad yet.

	23-01-2003 12:26									#10
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quote: Originally posted by DanS Don't believe the press reports on numbers and deployments and especially not those words coming directly from Myers. Who knows what we have in theater.

It's not that tough to find out. You don't move mechanized brigades from CONUS without half the planet knowing about it. It's fairly easy to see who's still here (CONUS), who's somewhere else (Korea, Alaska, Europe, Afghanistan, etc.), and who's reported in theater.

It's not like we have hidden divisions in the US Army that nobody knows about.

	23-01-2003 12:30									#11
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quote: Originally posted by MichaeltheGreat It's not like we have hidden divisions in the US Army that nobody knows about.

There goes another childhood myth.

	23-01-2003 12:30									#12
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quote: Originally posted by Big Crunch Bush is the most moronic President the US has had in living memory. How can defending your country from belligerence be a war crime?

don't you know?

losers are war criminals

it is the way we do things now

Jon Miller

	23-01-2003 12:33									#13
	Re: Re: Re: The troops are ready. What are we waiting for? Support Apolyton, buy Civilization III: Complete

quote: Originally posted by DuncanK Well, they say they do. I kind of believe them. I think the've been partially ready for this for a very long time.

Who says who does what? As far as plans, there have been plans to rethump Iraq probably within days of the original cease fire, but the vehicular buildup (ammo and fuel transporters, water supplies, loggie units, etc.) for a full scale invasion and drive into Baghdad would be huge and impossible to hide from anyone.

quote: I think they mean that they could start the war. I don't think they are saying they could capture Bagdad yet.

They could have started the war any time in the last decade - there's always been at least a composite brigade of armor and mech infantry in Kuwait since the last war. When you can start a fight is meaningless. When you have the pieces in place to finish it is what counts. Do you honest-to-God think Franks (or anyone) is so stupid as to invade part way into a country with alleged stocks of CW munitions, then hang up his advance and have units go static in the middle of the fight while the logistics base and supply quantities get built up enough to resume the war?

The best way to minimize casualties (which is also consistent with current heavy forces groundfighting doctrine out of TRADOC) is to pile into the Iraqis after air prep, and keep up the pressure continuously in a running fight. The US wouldn't go static until we were in an occupation phase.

	23-01-2003 17:09									#14
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The troops are ready. What are we waiting for?

Yeah, that's a good enough reason.
Come to think of it : your nukes are ready too aren't they ? What are you waiting for ?

	23-01-2003 17:17									#15
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uh oh, you might be convicted of *gasp* war crimes...

ya know, i think that pales in comparison to the heaven youll be going to by keeping the crazy americans out of your country.

in fact i think if i were an iraqi soldier id use chemical and biological weapons out of spite for this warning...

	23-01-2003 17:21									#16
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As much as I hate to break up the Bush-bashing, that quote is taken out of context; he was referring explicitly to orders received to use weapons of mass destruction.

	23-01-2003 17:26									#17
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quote: Originally posted by MichaeltheGreat It's not like we have hidden divisions in the US Army that nobody knows about.

Area 52?

	23-01-2003 20:07									#18
	Re: Re: Re: Re: The troops are ready. What are we waiting for? Browse Apolyton AD-FREE

quote: Originally posted by MichaeltheGreat The best way to minimize casualties (which is also consistent with current heavy forces groundfighting doctrine out of TRADOC) is to pile into the Iraqis after air prep, and keep up the pressure continuously in a running fight. The US wouldn't go static until we were in an occupation phase.

Yes, that's it. You'll know that war is in the making when the air force starts pounding Iraqi positions in ernest. I don't know how or where the Iraqis sotre their equipemnt when they're not in a mobilization setting, but given the decade long atmosphere of confrontation I'd have stored them somewhere where they have a chance of not getting bombed if I were on the Iraqi general staff. They may not be mobilizing because they don't want to present themselves as targets for the US air force.