NYT: Some Fighters in Iraq Adopt New Tactics to Battle U.S.

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/24/world/middleeast/24diyala.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Sunni Arab militant groups suspected of having ties to Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia have established training camps east of Baghdad that are turning out well-disciplined units willing to fight American forces in set-piece battles, American military commanders said Thursday.

American soldiers fought such units in a pitched battle last week in Turki, a village 25 miles south of this Iraqi Army base in volatile Diyala Province, bordering Iran. At least 72 insurgents and two American officers were killed in more than 40 hours of fighting. American commanders said they called in 12 hours of airstrikes while soldiers shot their way through a reed-strewn network of canals in extremely close combat.

Officers said that in that battle, unlike the vast majority of engagements in Diyala, insurgents stood and fought, even deploying a platoon-size unit that showed remarkable discipline. One captain said the unit was in “perfect military formation.”

<snip>

Lt. Col. Andrew Poppas, commander of the Fifth Squadron, 73rd Cavalry, a unit of the 82nd Airborne Division, said in an interview that the fighters at Turki “were disciplined and well trained, with well-aimed shots.”

<snip>

The insurgents had built a labyrinthine network of trenches in the farmland, with sleeping areas and weapons caches. Two antiaircraft guns had been hidden away.

[Journeyman]

1. Why must we believe they have ties with al Qaeda? . . .

Seems a lot of Iraqi army units simply melted into the desert before the onslaught of the fierce shock and awe of the IraqAttaq. Might they be simply reconstituting themselves (they saved all their weapons and their officers from destruction by simply fading before the initial deluge), and now they are simply reforming themselves into the disciplined corps they were before. But for some reason, the New York Times (or, more likely, the American brass) insists they couldn't do this without al Qaeda's help -- as though all the elite Iraqi guard units were simply flash and filligree, fluff if you will, without the iron guidance of a bunch of outsiders.

Why the continued insistence the insurgency is directed from without? For to accept that it's driven from within would be to admit the error of our tactics and the bankruptcy of our command.

[Nihil]

2. Exactly right.

> For to accept that it's driven from within would be to admit the
> error of our tactics and the bankruptcy of our command.

Even now the bought media insists on spreading the bullshit that the
Iraqis are "inferior" people who "must" be getting trained help from
outsiders. Goebbels would have been proud.

[keopeli]

3. Astute point. Plus, we must consider anything as potential military propoganda.

The article implies that all insurgents have "leveled up".

The difficulty of networking over a wide range alone would make this implausible. It also implies that training has been going on without US knowledge.

I believe we can assume from this article that battles have become more intense in recent days. We knew this already, of course, but this is the military admitting it.

We can also assume the "insurgents" that are creating these intense battles are anti-American (as opposed to Sunni/Shiite enemies). This would suggest that the Americans are a party in the current Civil War.

No matter how you look at it, it's not good news.

[4dsc]

4. Why?? To support the notion of the war on terror

They must link every story with Al Qaeda to show cause and effect as to why Bush originally invaded Iraq aka the war on terror.. Now while most intelligent people see through this BS today, its served a good purpose in fooling many others..

[MGD]

5. There's no doubt that Al-Queda is in Iraq

Just as there's no doubt that indigenous insurgents are also present. There are dozens of groups fighting for dozens of causes in Iraq. IMO, Al-Queda holds the strings of several puppet groups and, thereby, is able to create a favorable ground situation. It's hard to deny their power and influence in Iraq IMO.

[Kellyiswise]

12. We trained the pretty well, didn't we? They have ties to US, not Al-qaeda.

How long will it take for Americans to realize that we are being killed by US trained and armed militas from both sides?

[brentspeak]

13. You have any evidence of that?

I'm sure you have plenty of evidence to support your accusation....(yeah, right)

[alfredo]

14. It happened in Vietnam, I don't see why it couldn't happen in

Iraq. It's also a perfect way to gather intelligence. An insurgence could get money, clothes and training. He can then desert and take with him what he has learned.

[catnhatnh]

6. Now if the roofs of sand....

would just stop collapsing....what is arabic for Cu Chi???

[DavidDvorkin]

7. New, perhaps, but not unanticipated

Pitched battles are the next stage of an insurgency, as the US military itself defines it. Stage Four, is it?

I think there was an item about this, and a link, here on DU a few months ago.

[bigdarryl]

8. We are fighting the Iraqi army that was disbanded the...

differance is they have no uniforms on and blend in with the civilian population.

[SpiralHawk]

9. Never fear. Commander AWOL has a new strategery

Just wait till he gets out there on the links. Those evil terrarists will quake in their sandals.

"Too bad about you US soldiers who actually believed my WMD lies and went off to fight this Oil Crusade. But at least you have the comfort of knowing that me and my republicon oil & munitions cronies are making a vast fortune."

- Commander AWOL

[FormerDem06]

10. It makes sense for the minority Iraqi Sunni's to do this...

They have to give the US a reason to stick around. After 30 years of raping, killing and terrorizing the Shia majority with Saddam's blessings, they know that they have to keep the insurgency going, and the US engaged. Training discliplined units keeps the normalized Iraqi army off guard and keeps us there.

Once we and the Brits get out, the Sunnis are pretty much in for a whosale revenge war that would rival anything that the Chinese are protecting the perpetuation of in Darfur. The Sunnis won't last six months to the man once the gloves are off.

[mc jazz]

11. true if there's no Arab intervention...

I can't see any neighbour even Iran not stepping in first, and perhaps working with Syria or an Sunni nation to prevent a genocide. But if these two get Bushed then this hope becomes less likely, only strong nation states can rise above sectarianism. Ironically if the US loses against Iran (likely IMO, the US army is surrounded) the Iranians would say it was the US who caused all the problems (recalling the US inspired Saddam to fight them in the 80's), it would be better for all the Iraqi's to have a strong Iran the US must know a 'win' against Iran that takes out the leadership would spread the chaos to the whole region, a Taliban Pakistan would be another neo-con success story

[KansDem]

15. This statement brought back memories of reports of North Vietnamese tunnels...

The insurgents had built a labyrinthine network of trenches in the farmland, with sleeping areas and weapons caches. Two antiaircraft guns had been hidden away.

This "rag-tag band of insurgents" seem to be quite organized and well-trained...