24.7.03
Hot hot hot.
Things are heating up in Iraq. Finally, a real non-combat casualty. This time its not non-hostile gunshot wound, its probably heat related. An older British officer collapsed and died today.
In other news... Not to be outdone by the US army's triumphant turkey shoot, the resistance shows off its skills. Truly, Iraqi insurgents are getting better at plying their trade. Heres the score for the past 2 days by tactic:
Roadside bombs: 1 killed 7 wounded. 1 killed, 2 wounded.
RPG/ambush: 3 killed, no wounded
That's 5 killed 9 wounded in the past 2 days since the little Saddams got waxed. There are no reports of Iraqi attackers killed. So lets contrast this.
Small groups of insurgents (probably no more than 5-7) are taking on larger groups of soldiers, and exacting a casualty rate roughly equal to their numbers and weaponry. Thats on the order of one Iraqi, one weapon, one US soldier killed or wounded, plus one successful escape. Per operation.
Meanwhile, 200+ US soldiers, with helicopter gunship support, heavy armor, all sorts of grenades and rockets and big machine guns, surround a villa, and are held off for 6 hours trying to kill 4 Iraqis. Granted, these are "uber bad guy Iraqis". But these four misfits managed to wound four American soldiers before they bought it. The Americans poured 10 TOW missles into the villa. Even this little 14-year old made a last stand. This sounds like the end of fucking Scarface, and I dont have the info to do the per US soldier math, but I can say that its going to be vastly inferior to what the Iraqis are doing.
Things are heating up in Iraq. Finally, a real non-combat casualty. This time its not non-hostile gunshot wound, its probably heat related. An older British officer collapsed and died today.
In other news... Not to be outdone by the US army's triumphant turkey shoot, the resistance shows off its skills. Truly, Iraqi insurgents are getting better at plying their trade. Heres the score for the past 2 days by tactic:
Roadside bombs: 1 killed 7 wounded. 1 killed, 2 wounded.
RPG/ambush: 3 killed, no wounded
That's 5 killed 9 wounded in the past 2 days since the little Saddams got waxed. There are no reports of Iraqi attackers killed. So lets contrast this.
Small groups of insurgents (probably no more than 5-7) are taking on larger groups of soldiers, and exacting a casualty rate roughly equal to their numbers and weaponry. Thats on the order of one Iraqi, one weapon, one US soldier killed or wounded, plus one successful escape. Per operation.
Meanwhile, 200+ US soldiers, with helicopter gunship support, heavy armor, all sorts of grenades and rockets and big machine guns, surround a villa, and are held off for 6 hours trying to kill 4 Iraqis. Granted, these are "uber bad guy Iraqis". But these four misfits managed to wound four American soldiers before they bought it. The Americans poured 10 TOW missles into the villa. Even this little 14-year old made a last stand. This sounds like the end of fucking Scarface, and I dont have the info to do the per US soldier math, but I can say that its going to be vastly inferior to what the Iraqis are doing.
