Generals See Gains From Iraq Offensives

[Barrett808]

A series of large military offensives over the past few months culminating in the battle for Fallujah has given U.S. military commanders here a sense of having gained ground against Iraq's fierce insurgency, but they predict no easy victory in pressing the attack and remain particularly concerned about a rising campaign of intimidation.

Indeed, senior officers say they regard the militants as still well armed and well financed, and likely to avoid trying to mass anywhere again after losing their primary stronghold in Fallujah. The officers say they expect the insurgents to engage in more decentralized operations and sporadic attacks while stepping up threats and violence against Iraqis who serve in the government or the security forces, or who otherwise cooperate with Americans.

"We do believe their tactics are going to change some," said Army Brig. Gen. John DeFreitas III, the top U.S. military intelligence officer in Iraq. "They will probably not mass forces again. They'll fight in small teams. We get some sense that they're thinking of adopting more guerrilla-type tactics -- small teams, hit-and-run."

(more)

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/washpost/20041206/ts_washpost/a38094_2004dec5

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. I guess it is time for the Five O'Clock Follies huh

[bemildred]

2. Pulling this right out of your ass, General?

"They will probably not mass forces again. They'll fight in small
teams. We get some sense that they're thinking of adopting more
guerrilla-type tactics -- small teams, hit-and-run."

Now there is a military genius for you.

[frictionlessO]

4. well said! and I bet they dont need to mass forces, they're everywhere

including Fallujah..still.

[fryguy]

3. "Mission Accomplsihed"

and this time we mean it....

[whistle]

5. The only ground I can see that has been made is the reduction

...in the Iraqi voting base by 100,000 potential voters who would have opposed the U.S. appointed government and the instilling of fear within the remaining population of Iraq. They may have to kill that many more adults to ensure total submission.

[Tempest]

6. 25 U.S. soldiers dead since Friday, U.S. embassy in S.A. attacked

And this moron sees gains?

[jmcgowanjm]

7. November poll-Approval of attacks on U.S. forces-51%

Yes, do you think my boss should be attacked?

Would you consider me a collaborator for
conducting this poll for the US?

Even if you rally all the demons and devils of Earth and Hell
you will not succeed in Iraq
Abu Assur, Al-Moharer

http://www.uruknet.info/?colonna=m&p=7853&l=x&size=1&hd=0

[jmcgowanjm]

8. We're gaining ground & we're going to need 12k airborne to hold it

By November 1965 Johnson had 175,000 troops in
Vietnam. With the additional troops ordered into battle Bush
will have 150,000 troops in Iraq.

But, escalation once started does not stop. Hubris – the
desire to go down in history as a war hero -- causes
Presidents, despite their honeyed words of care
and compassion, to throw more and more bodies recklessly
into
the battle.

By 1966 Johnson had 275,000 US troops in Vietnam. By the
end of his term in 1968 the number had escalated to
535,000.

It’s going to be no different for President
Bush.

Despite the rosy, and politically correct, reports issued by
the military every day, the fact is that the situation in Iraq is
getting worse, not better. Hence President Bush’s escalation
of US troop strength in Iraq.

www.washingtondispatch.com/article_10574.shtml

[jmcgowanjm]

9. What the Resistance thinks-IRR120504

US forces in al-Fallujah now find themselves besieged
by Resistance fighters.

Resistance downs US Chinook helicopter

The US column(35 vehicles) remained trapped in an area
no larger than 250 square meters from 9:30am until 12 noon.

Hard fighting in al-Fallujah ends with US troops driven
back behind the highway.

Fierce fighting raged in the ash-Shuhada’ and al-
Jubayl neighborhoods of southern al-Fallujah Sunday morning,
but finally US forces were forced to fall back to behind
the highway east of the city.

According to Mafkarat al-Islam the fighting broke out at
about 8:15am Sunday and lasted until 9:30am. US units
came from the east of the city and drove towards the south,
but Resistance forces stood up to them. Fire was
exchanged and the US troops, despite the air support
they enjoyed, were unable to advance any further.
The Resistance, in fact, forced them to withdraw to beyond
the east of al-Fallujah.

http://www.uruknet.info/.?p=m7880