**OFFICIAL WAR THREAD** 7th Calvary fights off Iraqi attack; Bush seeks 75 billion for war

[zer0burn]

Waves of B-52 bombers pounded a convoy of Iraqi military vehicles overnight before they could reach the lead elements of the U.S. Army's 3rd Infantry Division in Najaf, about 60 miles south of Baghdad, CNN's Walter Rodgers reported Thursday. Air traffic controllers with the U.S. Air Force told Rodgers, embedded with the 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry of the 3rd Infantry, that the bombers pounded the convoy "almost into oblivion."

i know everyone already knows but im glad the dust has settled down so that we can bomb them

 

[Loralon]

Originally posted by: conjur
Heard on NBC News this morning that the Pentagon thinks the blast in that market was from Iraqi AA fire. The crater and damage does not match that of a U.S. missile strike.

The blast damage I was able to see on video last night didn't seem consistent with a U.S. bomb, or cruise missle. There was some minor cratering on the ground and I thought I noticed the upper half of a conical blast pattern on the wall of one of those buildings in that market. The blast pattern would seem to be more consistent with a proximity fuse explosive of much smaller yield than even the 1,000lb warhead on cruise missles, much less the 2,000lb JDAMs. The evidence seems consistent with an Iraqi SAM, since the latest briefing at CENTCOM indicated that U.S. anti-radiation missles weren't deployed at all and that only JDAMs were used in the closest air attacks made to this particular market.

 

[conjur]

Coalition forces regroup to consolidate outside Baghdad

U.S. officials told NBC News that the push on Baghdad likely would pause over the coming days to give American and British forces time to quell resistance in the rear,
solidify supply lines to the front areas and hammer Republican Guard units surrounding Baghdad from the air. One source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said CENTCOM Commander Tommy Franks does not want to move on the capital until air strikes ?degrade? Guards units by 50 percent or more.
U.S. officials also expressed hope that the new threat represented by U.S. forces and equipment beginning to land in the Kurdish held north might force Republican Guard units to move, exposing them to air attack

 

[datalink7]

Originally posted by: Alistar7

Originally posted by: conjur
Heard on NBC News this morning that the Pentagon thinks the blast in that market was from Iraqi AA fire. The crater and damage does not match that of a U.S. missile strike.

I'm sure Al-Jeera will run a full retraction.......

HA!

 

[Mookow]

Originally posted by: Spagina
Well, did you guys see the videos of the Iraqi's trying to frantically fill in the small craters in that marketplace. My father made the comment that if these were American bombs, then why would the Iraqi's want to fill in the craters so quickly without trying to show any pictures of bomb fragments with made in USA or USA markings on them. I just thought it was humorous when I saw the footage though, they were determined to get it filled in.

Saddam lie? NEVER!

 

[PG]

One soldier with the 3rd Infantry Division, a loader on a tank, was killed on Monday. Also two tanks and one Bradley fighting vehicle with the division's 3rd Regiment, 7th Cavalry Squadron were destroyed by anti-armored missiles. Officers here believe the missile may be a new Russian variant, known as a Cornet, purchased despite United Nations sanctions on arms sales to Iraq.

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/26/international/worldspecial/26CND-INFA.html

 

[conjur]

Good article

Also yesterday, US military officials reported that two Iraqi rockets, seized by American troops Tuesday southeast of Najaf, were suspected of containing chemical munitions. It was unlear whether they had been fired or where they were found. The rockets were undergoing testing in a military lab, said Lieutenant Christopher Pike, an intelligence officer with the Third Infantry Division

and

''This tells us that Najaf is pretty important to them,'' Bailes said. Although US troops still surround Najaf, military officials today described the city as ''contained but not secure.''

In other developments in the area:

US forces discovered what is believed to be the major ammunition depot for the Najaf area. Approximately 90 buildings stocked with artillery rounds, ammunition, and logistical supplies were seized.

 

[Alistar7]

The launcher that was used to fire all missilles into Kuwait has been DESTROYED...

 

[conjur]

From BBC:

(all times GMT)

19:15: The Iraqi defence minister said troops were prepared to defend the capital as he acknowledges that coalition forces are closing in on Baghdad and will surround the city.
Wow! They finally face the fact that we ARE in the country!

19:07: US ambassador walks out of UN debate after Iraqi ambassador accuses US of trying to exterminate Iraqi people.
Kofi should have forced the Iraqi ambassador out and put him on a plane back home.

17:18: Arab news channel al-Jazeera shows pictures of a US Army Apache attack helicopter which it said had been shot down over Iraq.


16:48: Iraqi President Saddam Hussein vows to "inflict maximum material and human damage among enemy ranks" at a meeting with Baath Party senior members.
Is this hinting at WMD use?

 

[AdmiralTiger]

Originally posted by: conjur
Good article

Also yesterday, US military officials reported that two Iraqi rockets, seized by American troops Tuesday southeast of Najaf, were suspected of containing chemical munitions. It was unlear whether they had been fired or where they were found. The rockets were undergoing testing in a military lab, said Lieutenant Christopher Pike, an intelligence officer with the Third Infantry Division

"Lieutenant Christopher Pike"? :Q Ok, Sorry... I'm just having some Star Trek flashbacks here..... geez.

Regarding the US ambassador to UN - I think i'm beginning to like him... walking out on a security council meeting like that when Iraqi Amb to UN was talking - just to show who's the boss. heh.

 

[conjur]

heh...Christopher Pike.

But...this news about speedboat with explosives near the Gulf:

news link

 

[PG]

http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20030327-113424-8266r

Great quote:

"This is miserable. This has got to be the ass-end of the world," Lance Cpl. Gregory Moll, from Harrisburg, Pa., commented. "It's so unreal."

 

[Marauder-]

All this friendly fire is getting kinda sad.

on a lighter note, has this thread officially beaten out the infamous Butter thread from EONS ago?

 

[Milkman95]

Mmm.. butter... wait.. i don't know.

Any new news?

 

[conjur]

BOOM

image on FOXNews homepage

 

[conjur]

B-52 bombers are preparing for takeoff from Gloucestershire.

 

[conjur]

120,000 more troops headed for Iraq

Twenty thousand troops from the U.S. 4th Infantry Division will leave Fort Hood, Texas, for Iraq in the next few days, and another 100,000 ground troops have received deployment orders and will head to the Persian Gulf region next month, Pentagon officials said.

 

[BunLengthHotDog]

Some Full Size Photos for you folks

B52 Taking Off

F18 on the flight deck

US Soldier getting some lovin from Iraqi

I feel sorry for who is on the receiving end of this

Interesting picture of a moving convoy

Iraqi Soldiers fake surrender (Graphic photo)


THIS IS WHY WE ARE THERE


This reason is good enough for me

Enjoy

 

[Michael]

The NY Times seems to have the best coverage of different actions. I'm betting that it is becasue they're a print-based organization and they know how to write a story that is meant to be read instead of watched:

Marine HQ under attack

The Army gaining a toehold

You need to register to read the article, but it is free and they barely ever spam you.

Michael

 

[Krugger]

Richard Pearl, one of Rumsfield's main advisers, just resigned today, AP reporting.

 

[Tab]

Someone should make a offical War media thread of images and the such...
Can anyone give me more information on bush's accusation of accusing Russia selling weapons/equipment to iraq?

 

[MainFramed]

Originally posted by: Tabb
Someone should make a offical War media thread of images and the such...
Can anyone give me more information on bush's accusation of accusing Russia selling weapons/equipment to iraq?

good idea

 

[PG]

Russian arms sold to Iraq? possibly anti-tank weapons

First of all, before this war only 1 M-1 Abrahms has been knocked out of commision. Many have been knocked out of commision already in one week of fighting.
An RPG bounces off them as if it were nothing. The M-1 has very tough armor made of depleted uranium, but it also has some reactive armor that is designed to explode when hit. Maybe that doesn't make sense, but it repels certain objects that hit it very well. An internet search would do a better job of explaining it than me though.

Anyway, my point is that an RPG, which Iraq has, won't knock one out, but Russian anti-tank weapons can. Many might have come to Iraq through Syria, but I can't provide a link right now. Maybe later.

 

[Tripleshot]

Originally posted by: BunLengthHotDog
Some Full Size Photos for you folks

B52 Taking Off

F18 on the flight deck

US Soldier getting some lovin from Iraqi

I feel sorry for who is on the receiving end of this

Interesting picture of a moving convoy

Iraqi Soldiers fake surrender (Graphic photo)


THIS IS WHY WE ARE THERE


This reason is good enough for me

Enjoy

"This reason is good enough for me" too.

Nice pics. Thank you.

 

[charrison]

Originally posted by: Tripleshot

Originally posted by: BunLengthHotDog
Some Full Size Photos for you folks

B52 Taking Off

F18 on the flight deck

US Soldier getting some lovin from Iraqi

I feel sorry for who is on the receiving end of this

Interesting picture of a moving convoy

Iraqi Soldiers fake surrender (Graphic photo)


THIS IS WHY WE ARE THERE


This reason is good enough for me

Enjoy

"This reason is good enough for me" too.

Nice pics. Thank you.

The last one speaks volumes.