The Iraq thread 4

[ralphwiggum 6]

veterans in finanacial constraint.

http://abcnews.go.com/Primeti....&page=1

basically it's about how injured soldiers are in financial constraint due to beaurocratic failure.

[Balschoiw 0]

Poland to cut Iraq troop numbers

Not a rumour anymore:

Quote[/b] ]Poland will start reducing its 2,500-strong troop contingent in Iraq from early next year, Polish Prime Minister Marek Belka says.

Poland - seen as a strong ally of the US - leads a multi-national division of 8,000 troops in south-central Iraq.

"Poland will reduce its contingent from the start of 2005 and will discuss subsequent reductions," Mr Belka told parliament ahead of a confidence vote.

He vowed that Poland would "not remain in Iraq an hour longer than necessary".

Opinion polls suggest more than 70% of Poles are opposed to the presence of their country's troops in Iraq.

Seventeen Polish nationals have died in Iraq, including 13 soldiers and four civilians.

Poland said last week it would seek to pull out its troops after Iraq holds elections, due in January.

Defence Minister Jerzy Szmajdzinski also floated the idea of withdrawing troops by the end of 2005.

One coaltion of the willing member leaves the boat.

Falluja people flee new attacks

Quote[/b] ]There has been a renewed exodus of residents from the Iraqi city of Falluja, after one of the heaviest US bombardments for weeks.

Ground forces were also involved, but the US said the operation was not the start of an attempt to retake the city.

At least eight people were killed and several injured, medical sources say.

In a southern suburb of Baghdad, a car bomb exploded near a police station killing 10 people, including a family of four, the US military said.

It said the car was packed with 300 lb (135 kg) of explosives, and blew up at about 1100 (0800 GMT) as an Iraqi police patrol passed. All the dead were civilians.

In Falluja, the US said planes hit a planning centre used by militants led by Iraq's most wanted man, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

During the operation, American troops reportedly arrested Sunni Muslim cleric Khaled al-Jumaili, a senior member of a delegation which had been negotiating a truce in Falluja.

Iraqi police said US marines also detained the city's police chief and two other police officers as they moved their families to a nearby town to escape American air raids.

Meanwhile US forces have stepped up security in Baghdad, after the first bombings inside the city's fortified Green Zone killed up to six people on Thursday.

'No all-out assault'

Residents of Falluja are packing their bags and leaving town fearing an imminent US ground invasion.

"They bombed us with their planes and people started running away from home," one resident told Reuters news agency.

"The situation now is very difficult and we are leaving now."

The US military has denied that a full assault on the city is under way.

The air strikes follow a call to residents by Iraqi interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi to give up Zarqawi, a Jordanian-born militant.

But the city delegation said the government's demand was "impossible" to fulfil.

US warplanes and helicopters launched sustained attacks on Falluja late on Thursday, reportedly leaving at least five people dead.

Two more air strikes were launched on Friday morning. Medical sources said at least three people had died.

'Targets of opportunity'

At least 1,000 US ground troops were advancing towards the city with tanks and Iraqi special forces, the AFP news agency said.

Marines spokesman Lyle Gilbert told the agency the mission was to disrupt the militants' ability to conduct terror attacks in the area.

The US military said the air strikes targeted illegal checkpoints, a weapons cache and safe houses belonging to Zarqawi's group.

The attacks came hours after leaders from Falluja suspended peace talks with officials from Iraq's interim government.

The US and the Iraqi interim government have been trying to regain control of rebel areas before elections planned for January, staging weeks of what they call "precision strikes" against militants in the city.

Zarqawi is thought to be based in Falluja. The US has offered a $25m reward for his capture.

His group - which the US says is linked to al-Qaeda - has captured and killed hostages. It also said it carried out Thursday's twin bombings in Baghdad's Green Zone in Baghdad

Great timing for the bomb run. Ramadan just started in Iraq and religiouse leaders already call for jihad in reaction to the worst bombing Fallujah has seen for 4 months.

During Ramadan every fighter who get´s killed gets a straight ticket to paradise.

Last year this resulted in a 30 percent rise of attacks on coaltion troops. This year, as the violence level is already up high, the worst has to be feared.

Even US troops who already serve their second term in Iraq during this war say, that the situation has worsened since they left the country after their first term of service. They are scared, they are not very motivated and they don´t understand where this will take them.

I´ve just seen a very demoralizing report from Ramallah where US marines experience at least 4 major attacks a day in their camp. They are scared and they don´t think that they are in the right place as interviews showed. Basically, they get attacked whenever a vehicle drives out of the camp.

I´ve also heard a report about a reserve supply company refusing to leave their camp with fuel trucks to support other troops. They said, they didn´t have appropriate protection and therefore refuse to leave their camp as their vehicles are in bad condition and such. They say that they will not go on a "suicide mission", even if they were ordered to do so.

Looks like there are some real big problems ahead.

[turms 0]

Stay safe Bals. How long are you gone?

[Balschoiw 0]

2- 3 months, depending on how fast we will be able to get where we are supposed to get

[bn880 5]

Billybob, one thing. I will be leaving germany on sunday to fulfill my part in the so called "war on terror". But right now, if people like you who are in permanent denial of reality, pop up like mushrooms and still see no flaw in the current situation mainly caused and enabled by the US panic foreign policy, or better say not-policy, I feel kind of cheated. You should be the ones fighting the war. You are so eager and motivated and you know everything as it seems. I´d gladly hand you over my gun and push you out of the helo I will be dropped of next week thursday after I´ve arrived in Kabul on Monday.

Then again, I only think you´re an uninformed , reality denying teen and I will keep it as that.

You may be lucky. Maybe I won´t come back this time. Maybe you have some smart words for that also. Maybe some "....erm" or other intellectual highlights you are so generous to share with us here.

You´re a guy who still has a lot to learn. And I do hope that you will have to learn it the hard way. It seems to be the most promising way for me to get reality into your isolated head.

I´m thankful to fight in your name over there. NOT.

You show no understanding, no realism, no perspective, no common sense and are happily defending YOUR thruth, that obviously doesn´t match the reality truth.

That´s it for me with you billybob. Nothing more to say.

Well, good luck again. Soldiers get orders, heh right.

Anyway, Afghanistan is not nearly as bad as Iraq, and so your chances are pretty good. If it doesn't feel right, move out of the way... that's the only advice I can give you.

Edit: actually, if you ride a vehicle, take the back seat

[billybob2002 0]

Quote[/b] ]2- 3 months, depending on how fast we will be able to get where we are supposed to get

What do you do....

[Ex-RoNiN 0]

2- 3 months, depending on how fast we will be able to get where we are supposed to get  

Good luck, stay safe, and wear your helmet and kevlar

[bn880 5]

Billy, somehow I doubt you will get an answer to that one.

Edit: Bals is strong Bavarian, he no weare sissy stuff

j/k

[walker 0]

Hi Balschoiw

Take care and stay low friend.

Kind Regards Walker

[Balschoiw 0]

Quote[/b] ]Good luck, stay safe, and wear your helmet and kevlar

All of that. You can bet that I will even wear kneecap protectors this time

Quote[/b] ]What do you do....

Doing some hillclimbing in the Hindu Kush...

Thx for the good wishes to all !

I hope to see you all safe and sound when I get back.

[ralphwiggum 6]

take care and PLEASE bring me a functioning G36 this time.

[Balschoiw 0]

I´m still waiting for the cheque Ralphie

[denoir 0]

Best of luck to you Bals. Watch out for mines and what you drink.

What I've heard from friends that have served down there is: prepare to be bored. You can't drink, you can't eat the local food, there's no night life in Kabul etc And starting an opium/heroin addiction is not recommended

[Balschoiw 0]

Quote[/b] ]What I've heard from friends that have served down there is: prepare to be bored.

I´m not afraid of that.  As we move in the mountains and will be operating in non-safe area we will have enough "entertainment" 24h a day.

Quote[/b] ]Watch out for mines

Mines are not the biggest problem in the mountains, but traps and unexploded bomblets and airdropped AP mines and remains from the russian-afghan conflict. At least that´s what we´ve been told. We´ll see how reality looks.

We´re pretty on our own for the time we´re operating. We only have some palettes with alu-boxes that will be paradropped with us for basic supply with food packages, water, medicine and ammo and a stationary com device and some emergency beacons.

We´ll get supported on demand later on, but it will be a bit tricky as the intel on the operational area is very washy and calling in helo support could result in a Stinger attack. We´ll see. Theoretically we´re well prepared for the solo run, but mountain warfare is always shit. At least we have sat imaging on demand. Well I´m curious how it will work.

Edit: I will not write a post again with 2 handguns lying in front of the keyboard I promise !

[python3 0]

best of luck bals. hoping for your safe return

[FW200 0]

Good luck , hope you get back safe and sound

[Ironsight 1]

take care and PLEASE bring me a functioning G36 this time.

If you are going to Afghanistan you should bring an Afghani hand-made AK-47

Good luck and take care

[Acecombat 0]

Good Luck bals , may you catch Usama himself

[bn880 5]

Good Luck bals , may you catch Usama himself

Just wait after all the recounts in the US election.

[Blake 0]

Take care over there Bals!

On Iraq, it seems severe manpower shortages are again on the table...

Quote[/b] ]

UK troops 'set for US Iraq role':

Most British soldiers are currently based in southern Iraq

British soldiers could be sent to support American forces in some of Iraq's most volatile areas.

Senior British military sources say the US has asked British troops to fill in behind American soldiers, who are being sent elsewhere.

It is believed UK forces could be sent from Basra, in southern Iraq, to an area south of Baghdad.

BBC defence correspondent Paul Adams said they would be under US command, which might cause controversy.

[Bernadotte 0]

Good luck, Bals.  And be sure to keep a large Burqa handy just in case you need to make a discreet getaway.

[Bernadotte 0]

Is this a one-off event or the beginning of something bigger?

Quote[/b] ]The Army is investigating members of a Reserve unit in Iraq who refused to deliver a fuel shipment to a town north of Baghdad under conditions they considered unsafe, the Pentagon and relatives of the soldiers said Friday. Several soldiers called it a "suicide mission," relatives said.

Up to 19 members of the 343rd Quartermaster Company were detained at gunpoint for nearly two days after disobeying orders to drive trucks that they said had not been serviced and were not being escorted by armed vehicles to Taji, about 15 miles north of Baghdad, relatives said after speaking to some of the soldiers.

-- SF Chronicle

And, does anyone know if such soldiers would be provided with fireproof garments like those worn by race car drivers and pit crews?

[DanAK47 1]

Take care Balschoiw. It was fun arguing/debating with you in the other thread.

[Balschoiw 0]

Thx for all the good wishes.

Clock is ticking. Need to hurry a bit now.

Cu all in a few months. All keep nice and behave

And BIS, don´t dare to release OFP 2 meanwhile

Bye , bye !

[Acecombat 0]

Bye bals , we'll miss you here since there'll be no one left to keep billybob in check

Btw in the winter Afghanistan is a freezeball to the north so keep warm too