The Command Post
Iraq
March 29, 2003
"Iraqi ultralights spotted over U.S. troops"

From this:

CENTRAL IRAQ — At least two Iraqi ultralight aircraft flew over a patch of desert Friday where thousands of U.S. soldiers and several command and control facilities are located. The appearance of enemy aircraft over U.S. positions is especially alarming because the military believes ultralight aircraft of the type spotted Friday may be used to deliver chemical or biological weapons...

Both of the small, prop-driven aircraft spotted here evaded a tight air defense system and flew over an assembly area packed with helicopters, tanks, Bradley fighting vehicles other military equipment. They flew off before the anti-aircraft crews could get permission to shoot them down...

...In December about “half-a-dozen” ultralight aircraft were also spotted flying over two U.S. military camps in Kuwait...

[In other news,] journalists traveling with units in the field were told to stop using a certain brand of satellite telephone. The command is worried that, in some fashion it would not explain, the Iraqis might use signals from those phones to gather intelligence about American operations. The command did not order all phones shut down, just those using the Thuraya satellite. That system is based in the United Arab Emirates and is Arab owned. Other satellite phones, including those in the Iridium system, were not subject to a shut down order. Iridium is an American-owned system.

More info on Thuraya here.

Posted By Lonewacko at March 29, 2003 03:57 PM | TrackBack
Comments

"permission to shoot them down"? Why? Did anyone think Iraqi civilians were flying them?

Posted by: Diane L. at March 29, 2003 04:08 PM

According to the article, the skies were crowded with coalition aircraft, and the ultralights look to radar like helicopters. They're working on the UL's signatures and they now have permission to shoot them down.

Posted by: Lonewacko at March 29, 2003 04:12 PM

The left already decided ultra-lights were a canard. Hans Blix thinks so too.

Posted by: BobbyV at March 29, 2003 04:20 PM

Canard ultralight

Posted by: jerry at March 29, 2003 04:27 PM

Anybody want to speculate on which news service journalists are using the "Thuraya satellite, the system which is based in the United Arab Emirates and is Arab owned"?

Posted by: jamesbray at March 29, 2003 04:33 PM

In today's CENTCOM press briefing, a journalist (not from Al-Jazeera) indicated that the Thuraya phones broadcast their GPS coordinates when in use. That is clearly a hazard to coalition forces, as it lets others identify their exact location. That's why those phones are being banned and not others.

Posted by: Humphrey Bogus at March 29, 2003 04:53 PM
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