Sadr's militia defeated: US

[floda]

Sadr's militia defeated: US
From correspondents in Baghdad
June 6, 2004

THE US military said today it had defeated the outlawed militia of flamboyant Shi'ite cleric Moqtada Sadr across central Iraq, and denied that there was any truce with the radical preacher.

"The Moqtada militia is militarily defeated. We have killed scores of them over the last few weeks, and that is in Najaf alone," Brigadier General Mark Hertling, one of the top US commanders in charge of Najaf, told AFP.

"Over the past several days, Moqtada's militia has lost much of their stomach for fighting," he said, also declaring victory in the central cities of Kut, Diwaniyah and Karbala, dogged by fighting over the past two months.

"We have also destroyed their weapons stores and their offensive capability," he said.

more...

http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,9763089%255E401,00.html

[physioex]

1. The article doesn't mention their will to fight....a small detail...EOM

[saigon68]

10. Brigadier General Mark Hertling,

For all his rank is an idiot. If Bush is reelected look for him to have his tongue up somewhere even deeper than it is already.

They are in a lull phase-- you don't fight tanks head on with AK-47's or Dragunovs. B-40's don't work well on Abrams tanks---

You use your B-40s on Humvees and Bradleys and ambush them 1 or 2 at a time.

He is either an idiot or a total liar and has never apparently studied Mao or Gen. Giap.

[wtmusic]

14. What are Dragunovs/B-40s?

AK-47s I know.

[bemildred]

15. Sniper rifle and a type of land mine, I believe. nt

[saigon68]

18. a couple of the BEST WEAPONS invented for guerrillas

The 7. 62-mm Dragunov sniper rifle is a sniper's weapon and is designed to destroy various single targets, which may be collapsible, moving, open and screened (Fig. 1).
The sniper optical sight is intended for precise aiming of the sniper rifle at various targets.






RPG 2 = B-40

The RPG-2 weighs 6.3 pounds and has a range of about 100 meters. It was also known as the B-40


The two distinctly different types of RPGs were the earlier RPG-2 and the later more advanced RPG-7. The two RPG-2's in this photo are different in that the top one has a wooden heat shield and the bottom example has a fiberglass heat shield. I believe that both the RPG-2's were ChiCom made and the RPG-7 was Soviet. The RPG-7 which weighs 14.5 pounds has a distinctive funnel flare at the tail end and also has two hand grips instead of the one. The 7 also had a mount for a scope, was more accurate, longer range and the rocket also had an internal fuse burnout airburst capability. (not many people know that fact). Both types of RPG's were primarily intended as a light anti-tank weapons, but in Vietnam and elsewhere since, they have been used as a very effective psychological terror weapon because of the tremendous blast and noise. The rocket is a thin metal skinned shaped charge that will penetrate light armor from 6 to 14 inches thick. Used against ground troops and bunkers, it was effective in direct hits, but there was not much shrapnel unless one was near the point of impact. The RPG-2 weighs 6.3 pounds and has a range of about 100 meters. It was also known as the B-40. The Rockets were also different. The RPG-2 had fin stabilized rockets with screw on booster charges. The RPG-7 rocket had no fins and was gas stabilized. The RPG-2 has a gas escape hole on the right side of the weapon and will cause severe injury or death if fired from the left shoulder. NVA usually carried one of these RPG's per squad with spare rounds being carried by other soldiers. A good RPG gunner could fire 5 to 6 rounds in a minute.

[wtmusic]

19. great info..thanks s68!

:thumbsup:

[bemildred]

27. I bow to the master. nt

[Rochambeau]

34. "You use your B-40s on Humvees and Bradleys and ambush them 1 or 2 at..."

You are right Saigon that's the effective modus operandi for guerilla/insurgents units against a regular army but the idiot that never studied Mao or Giap maybe is (also) Al Sadr himself if you look at the way he engaged his men.
He had something to prove politicaly, to Sistani and the other Shiit leaders. He had to show his muscles in order to weight in the future in spite of his young age and relative lack of political credibility and weight comparing to the elders. He played and apparently, he "lost", on the battle field at the least, but the future will say if he succeeded on his political goal...if he's not dead or in custody or hiding like a hunted beast for years. It was also very important for the US to defeat him before the 30th of june.
Later the historians will study the attitude of the shiit elders during that period and I think that it will not make a nice picture. They are not mourning Sadr's vanished power now I think, if you see what I mean.

[bemildred]

35. You seem to respect Gen. Giap.

In light of your comments about al Sadr's tactics, I would ask
what you think about the Tet offensive? I would argue that the
April uprising has similarities in intent and effect.

It seems unlikely to me (from the stories that I've seen) that al
Sadr is in command of an unitary organized force, witness the lack
of response to the continuing series of "truces", hence I am
reluctant to assign him praise of blame for tactical decisions.
He is in some degree just out there in front of the herd yelling
"follow me!".

I would agree that it is unlikely that al Sadr is a student of Giap.
However Mr. Hussein was.

[saigon68]

37. There exists in the slums of Sadr City

One man or woman in a thousand who won't be cowed, badgered or bullied any more. He/she is not going to be an Amerikan tool quietly.

They are very angry tonight, and may God help the widow of a 20 year old lance corporal from Iowa, when one of them puts a bullet from a 7.62 X 54R through their husband's brain.

Disant cela -- bonjour Rochambeau

Ayez un beau jour

[Massacure]

2. I bet it will only be a couple weeks before they are back in action.

[bemildred]

5. Try today or tomorrow.

You can tell this limpdick really wants that promotion.
Where is teryang anyway, we need that McArthur quote.

[TheWraith]

26. Yup.

This is like the fifth or sixth time this year that the military has declared "victory". It lasts about 18 hours.

[bvar22]

3. Deja Vu?

A silly clown in a flight suit with a roll of socks in his drawers crowing "Mission Accomplished"?

--Premature Ejaculation?

[Rose Siding]

4. "They are defeated"

...he said, clicking his ruby slippers together.

[kalian]

6. Oh please....

don't you just love the government propaganda...? :eyes:

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

7. Uh...

"Bottom line, yesterday was a good day for Najaf. The militia have been defeated, or have left."

[ColdWarZoomie]

8. Back into the Woodwork

I'm surprised it took the Sadrists this long to learn that they cannot defeat us in a quasi-traditional fight.

Back to the IEDs and ambushes. Slow and steady.

[Cocoa]

9. now they've only killed "scores"?

I heard them say a week ago they killed hundreds.

The talking point is that Sadr is reduced to recruiting 15-year-olds. I heard so many RWers repeat that line last weekend I had to laugh.

[LittleApple81]

11. 15 year-olds can be the most dangerous. They don't have a perception

of their own frailty and can kill without too much feeling. I would really, really, worry if this is the case.

[Cocoa]

20. true

very true about teenagers being dangerous.

But it's not the case with Sadr. When Fred Barnes, William Kristol and David Brooks all repeat the same story, it's a sure thing that it was cooked up by the folks at the Weekly Standard.

[Aidoneus]

21. They are also of the generation..

that has known nothing but death being rained down upon their people by those that now occupy it. People in the region are known for having long memories, and there is much to be held to account for.

As to the original matter and claim. It is unfortunate that the punishments for these ridiculous delusions will not inflict itself upon the high officials stupid enough and insulated so far from reality to actually believe these lies (or those that pass them on knowing well the import), but upon rather the (mainly) brainwashed youth they keep as pets.

The revolutionary current let loose has only begun to clear its throat.

[bemildred]

28. Budapest 1956.

Fourteen year olds with Molotov Cocktails(tm) taught
the Russkis a thing or two, but they died in droves too.

[wtmusic]

12. Mission Accomplished

this sounds awfully familiar...

[Hotdiggitydog]

13. I dare chimpy to come out and say:

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.

[yellowcanine]

16. Sounds like the U.S. commanders right before Tet in 1968

And we all know how that worked out.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

17. Which is why American soldiers are STILL being killed!

:eyes:

I know an ass-kisser when I see one and Mark Hertling is an "ASS-KISSER"!!!

:argh:

[Columbia]

22. Good riddance

[Teaser]

23. all our most recent casualties are in Sadr city

They ain't defeated. They just moved.

Guerrilla tactics folks.

[Aidoneus]

24. You're missing the REAL story here. There is good news to be found.

Sure, Jaysh alMahdi mujahids are still picking off occupation forces. However, that only proves how desperate they have become. This can be verified by the pending success of Fox's TV REVOLUTION by starting their Fall season in June. Thus, it is proven that the occupation is on the verge of total victory and success. The fresh coat of paint that the liberators put on the hospitals they bombed last month proves it.

Hm, I think the SpinBot(w/GoodNews generator addon) is broken.. may need to take it in and get it fixed.

The only way that this is not merely a dangerously deluded lie is if by "defeated", he meant "stronger than ever".

[louis-t]

25. Wait, isn't that what

Sadr's people are saying about us?

[pinniped]

29. Now to find out who's been placing all those "roadside bombs".

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&e=5&u=/ap/20040605/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq

Roadside Bomb Kills 2 Soldiers in Iraq

49 minutes ago

By ROBERT H. REID, Associated Press Writer

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A roadside bomb killed two American soldiers and wounded two in a series of attacks Saturday against occupation forces and their Iraqi allies, while tensions eased in the Shiite holy cities of Najaf and Kufa just weeks ahead of the transfer of sovereignty to the new Iraqi government.
------

more:

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&e=5&u=/ap/20040605/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq

[Darranar]

30. First a truce, then no truce...

and now all the "security and stability" operations have paid off, right?

The al-Mahdi Army is utterly destroyed. Sadr no longer has any ability to do anything. When a US soldier is killed by the no-longer-existing al-Mahdi Army, you can rest assured that we will once again destroy the non-existant al-Mahdi army. Victory is at hand; the al-Mahdi Army is destroyed, despite the fact that it is still fighting US forces.

:eyes:

[Dover]

31. As usual...Aljazeera sees it a little differently...>

Al-Sadr meets al-Sistani

Saturday 05 June 2004, 21:13 Makka Time, 18:13 GMT


Al-Sadr's fighters have battled the occupation in southern Iraq

The offices of both men confirmed Saturday's meeting in the holy city of Najaf, where sporadic clashes this week interrupted a truce between al-Sadr's followers and US occupation troops.

No details were revealed on the encounter. Al-Sistani, an Iranian-born cleric, is seen as wielding wider influence over Iraqi Shia than al-Sadr, whose main support base is among those living in the poor suburbs of Baghdad.

The meeting came a day after al-Sadr's fighters, the al-Mahdi Army, and occupation troops agreed to withdraw from Najaf and neighbouring Kufa as part of a deal aimed at ending a two-month standoff. The fighting has spread to cities and towns in southern Iraq, leaving hundreds of civilians and fighters dead.

Iraqi police were seen patrolling the streets of Najaf on Saturday for the first time in weeks. But a US military official denied there was any truce with al-Sadr and claimed they had defeated the Shia leader....cont'd

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/471CD72A-6C5A-4163-B809-283A39B973DA.htm

[sandnsea]

32. Well that's what I thought

We were negotiating a truce with them. It was on the news and everything (for a change). They really think people are that stupid they'll just forget I guess.

[Zhade]

36. Anti-Semite!

(Kidding. But you just KNOW some dumbass is going to claim that of al Jazeera anyway.)

[Just Me]

33. I just can't take the misinformation and bs anymore.

They will lose the "war of ideas" because they apparently make sh*t up and lie through their teeth all the time.

:hurts: