The Command Post - Iraq

March 24, 2003

SETBACKS:

WaPo: Troops Meet Setbacks on Road to Baghdad.

Outside An Nasiriyah, the mood among Marines was somber and tense, particularly as news spread about their comrades who were killed while trying to take in prisoners of war. Lt. Gen. John Abizaid of Central Command said the faked surrender had sparked the "sharpest engagement of the war thus far." For leaders of the coalition, thoughts that Saddam's defenders would surrender easily have faded away.

"Clearly they are not a beaten force," said Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. "This is going to get a lot harder."

A shame but hardly surprising.

Posted By at March 24, 2003 10:40 AM | TrackBack

Comments

We tried to be nice, gave them every opportunity. Convenient how "negotiations" were drawn out.

Posted by: Sandy P. at March 24, 2003 10:53 AM

We'll see how spirited they are after we annihilate a retreating battalion of Republican Guard via bombing runs ... from what I hear, 5 of these are stationed outside Baghdad now, we need to kill as many of them as possible BEFORE they get back to Baghdad.

Also, they are kidding themselves if they believe we will fall for the "I surrender" trick again - sure, go ahead, surrender, but strip naked first and put your hands over your heads ...

Posted by: Jeff Brokaw at March 24, 2003 10:59 AM

I just heard someone (Gen Franks?) point out that the surrender ruse was by die-hards who wanted to make it tougher on low-level Iraqi troops to surrender by fostering (fatal?) distrust on the part of the allied troops.

The same holds true of civilian-dressed combatants (fostering distrust of all civilians).

Posted by: roy at March 24, 2003 11:14 AM

My neighbor is a Marine. His comment was that the pretending to surrender trick is not exactly new, and that somebody in the field screwed up if it worked.

Posted by: Chris at March 24, 2003 11:27 AM