700 Paratroopers 82nd Airborne to Iraq -What Location?

[rrrevolution]

Are all the troops in place for Iranian attack? Since when do we send in our elite trained troops to perform menial tasks?

Does anyone have a source online that would show military troop deployment in Iraq? Not looking for classified or sensitive info, just what is publicly available.

Seems that almost none of the troops are coming home, yet the number reported deployed in Iraq remains at 138,000. So does that mean we are repositioning troops for attack purposes to other countries in the region?

Thanks!

[whistle]

1. Yes, mass attacks begin Saturday....Cheney was there arranging

...it:sarcasm: Who knows what they are doing over there?

[stillcool]

2. here you go.....guarding the gates...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1709061

[punpirate]

3. They're supposedly going to be prison guards...

... at the various Iraq prisons set up by the US occupation forces, because the jails are overflowing.

[tuckessee]

29. They need smart torturers.

Ones not dumb enough to take photos of the fun & games like ol' Chip & Lyndie of the US Army Reserve.

[unrepuke]

4. Prison guards usually do 'chute in, don't they? I think even here

at the L.A. County Lockup they rapell off the roof and bust in through the windows...just S.O.P.

This wouldn't be like when we "weren't going in to Cambodia", would it?

Or the months of bombing Iraq before the official Shock&Awe

[BeTheChange]

5. You almost made me spit soda out of my nose..

:)

[unrepuke]

6. Glad I could make you feel hydraulic :-)

[AlCzervik]

7. My nephew was in the 82nd and they do all kinds of

things, not just attacks, they do a lot of prep work for aerial bombings.

[rrrevolution]

8. Yep, my thinking also, prep for aerial bombing inside Iran

These are not normal infantry -- these are the most highly skilled and cream of the crop which would definitely be called upon if we attacked Iran. So it would make sense that you position them as close to the area needed as possible before the bombing starts.

We are going to need ground troops to verify which targets were actually destroyed and give feedback on troop strength and deployment.

[understandinglife]

10. And, seize control of key oil infrastructure assets in the south of IRAN.

Peace.

[rrrevolution]

12. Can US take just the s. oil fields of Iran w/o fighting all of Middle E.?

I don't think so. We are talking about a huge uprising, an oil embargo against the US, an emergency in the homeland the likes we have never seen before -- possibly martial law.

Anyone who says we can oversee and ensure shipment of oil from these fields needs to look at how effective we have been in Iraq. We have never met the prewar levels of oil shipments in Iraq, and there are thousands of leaks in the infrastructure.

[understandinglife]

17. You raise some interesting points ....

.... however, most of what would remain in "the Middle East" once we quickly neutralize Iran are what I'd describe as reluctant business partners - excepting that pesky Syria.

You can imagine what they have planned for Syria - a brief conversation about an option or two.

What we do know about Iraqi oil, since our occupation, is that we control it and we evidently have control of the revenue it has been generating. We haven't needed to rush to improve the infrastructure because we have all the time we need, especially after we complete the next phase of our strategic imperial plan.

Bechtel is evidently building vigorously in the 'green zone' -- in fact I've read reports that about all the construction happening in Baghdad has been in the 'green zone' for various corporations, like Bechtel and Halliburton. Bechtel as you may know has considerable expertise in a life essential resource -- water.

Certainly one of the very best ways to control any persistent dissension in the region -- since, as you know, it is a hot place -- is to control the water. Guess who now controls the largest source of drinkable water in all of the Middle East -- yep, the good ol' USofA.

Iran's oil assets are in the southern part of the country, indeed and that sure is convenient -- just turn the rest of it to glass.

It will then be clear that anyone who 'messes with Texas' will get exactly the same treatment from the fully loaded and ready to use it again, neoconster version of imperial America.

Just an hypothesis, of course .... but I don't think we'll have to wait much longer to see the hypothesis tested.

Unless we stop these criminals, now.


Peace.

[rrrevolution]

21. I respectfully disagree -- Islam is largest religion in the world

Other islamic countries will band together against the US.

Another point, it takes a $250 shoulder launched missile to cause millions of dollars of damage to Iraqi pipelines, and interfere with the flow of oil.

We would need ten(10) times the present number of troops to pacify and control the region taken over, and it would definitely cause an oil embargo against the US by our present suppliers. It is a long way from Iran to US gas tanks, and those supertankers are sitting ducks the whole way there.

[AlCzervik]

24. Well let me respectfully disagree on one point

I'm pretty sure that Catholicism is still the worlds largest religion but Islam is the worlds fastest growing religion and will probably pass Catholicism in the near future.

[rrrevolution]

27. I stand corrected, thanks, that is the quote I recall as well ..

However, I suspect that the link between muslims in different countries will cause a massive uprising against the US.

It will be hard to fight on all fronts at once, with an oil embargo and lack of support from Europe, and China and Russia working against us at the same time.

Truly a nightmare scenario.

[understandinglife]

30. I hope you are correct .... like I said, "it's a testable hypothesis" ...

... and I think it is going to be tested, unless a bunch of folk get a whole bunch more active than anything I've yet witnessed.


Peace.

[Eloriel]

28. And 700 troops is a LOT -- I'll bet we don't have quite that many

prison guards TOTAL in Iraq.

Very suspicious.

[understandinglife]

9. fyi ... some comments here you may find interesting ...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4385436

And, welcome to DU! :hi:


Peace.

[Solly Mack]

11. The 82nd AB Division includes all kinds of jobs

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/82abn.htm

"From cook to computer operator, from infantryman or engineer, every soldier in the 82d is airborne qualified"

[im10ashus]

13. That's my nephew's division.

They were told a month ago they would deploy back to Iraq (this will be his second tour) by September or October. :-(

[AlCzervik]

14. sorry to hear that. My newphew did a nyear in Afghanistan and then

2 tours in Iraq and finally got to come home after 3 years of war. We are lucky, he's alive and no injuries.

[im10ashus]

15. Bless his heart.

I know it must have been tough on him. I was so surprised at how quick my nephew aged. It's so damn sad.

[AlCzervik]

16. i'm so glad you said that. When we saw him he looked so tired

and at the ripe old age of 28 he looked closer to 40, lots of lines around the eyes and many grey hairs.

[GreenPartyVoter]

26. I am so sorry *hugs*

[rrrevolution]

18. Does Anyone Know Where They will be Deployed????

I was hoping family members might know what part of Iraq they were being deployed to serve. anyone??

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

19. The 700 members of the 82nd will be guards at prisons like Abu Ghraib

according to this article at the BBC. I also saw this story at other sites on Yahoo!, yesterday.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4162392.stm

"...The US has announced it is sending 700 paratroops to Iraq to boost security at its prisons there.

An infantry battalion from the 82nd Airborne Division will be deployed over the next two months.

It is not clear if they will replace troops ending their tour of duty or increase total US troop numbers.

As the insurgency continues, there are now nearly 11,000 prisoners in major US-run detention centres - twice as many as last September. ..."

(...clip...)

[rrrevolution]

20. Thanks, but does anyone know where that will be?

Generalizations like "at its prisons there" are of no use in determining the real mission of this group of highly trained elite soldiers. This type of information just means the military has no intention of disclosing where the soldiers will be deployed -- and that is important, because if a location is named then their arrival could be confirmed. If no location is named, they could land anywhere and we would be none the wiser.

I am suspicious when generalized information is handed out in lieu of specific information. It has a purpose, otherwise they would just say no comment.

[flyarm]

22. does anyone know how low we are in troops to deploy?

like the phoney employment numbers..i just wonder are we getting lied to about the recruitment numbers...seems to me when so many states are screaming about their national guard being depleted..and low recruitment numbers and all the so called allies having pulled out or in the process of pulling out..and congress putting pressure on needing more troops there..general byrnes getting relieved of his duty because he didn't want to train incompetants for army ground troops...we may be lower in troops than we have any clue of!!

of course i think they are there for iran..but then i have a little voice saying..maybe we are just this low in troops to deploy..i don't know...

[rrrevolution]

23. McCaffery said "the wheels are coming off" & we need to withdraw

Another reliable source said a large number of national guard and reserve troops will exceed their maximum commitment in October and be expecting to return home -- how many of the stated 138,000 troops they comprise, I do not know.

I think McCaffery may be onto something here that Bushco and neo-cons are refusing to acknowledge.

[rrrevolution]

25. Those of us living near a military base know

Much about troop deployments is not disclosed to families.

But when deployment destinations are disclosed, we know something is usually up.

We always support the troops because they always do what we ask them to do. But we have a job at home to learn all we can about the decisions being made which affect their very lives.

We need to do our job for their sake as wells as our own.