When is that play with Iraq going to find an end?

LAST EDITED ON 20-Aug-00 AT 05:32 PM (GMT)[p]I just paid a short visit to the following website:

http://www.eucom.mil/operations/onw/index.htm

(the page about the op Northern Watch) after a longer time.

Just a couple of short excerpts:

Iraqi missiles and AAA fired at ONW aircraft (17 Aug 00)
Iraqi AAA fired at ONW aircraft (15 Aug 00)
Iraqi AAA fired at ONW aircraft (14 Jun 00)
Iraqis fire AAA at ONW aircraft (12 Jun 00)
Iraqi AAA fired at ONW aircraft (8 Jun 00)
ONW aircraft targeted (1 Jun 00)
Iraqi AAA fired at ONW aircraft (31 May 00)
Iraqis fire AAA at ONW coalition aircraft (30 May 00)
Iraqi AAA fired at ONW aircraft (29 May 00)
Iraqis fire AAA at ONW coalition aircraft (23 May 00)
AAA fired at ONW coalition aircraft (22 May 00)
Iraqis fire AAA at ONW aircraft (16 May 00)
ONW aircraft fired upon (15 May 00)
Iraqi AAA fired at ONW aircraft (12 May 00)
Iraqi AAA fired at ONW aircraft (11 May 00)
AAA fired at ONW aircraft (10 May 00)
Iraqi forces fire AAA at ONW aircraft (9 May 00)
Iraqi forces target ONW aircraft (3 May 00)
Iraq AAA fired at ONW aircraft (2 May 00)
Iraq AAA fired at ONW aircraft (30 Apr 00)
ONW Aircraft Respond to Iraqi Attacks (25 Apr 00)
Iraqis fire AAA and target ONW aircraft (17 Apr 00)
Iraqi AAA fired at ONW aircraft patrolling Northern No-Fly Zone (16 Apr 00)
Iraq targets ONW aircraft in the Northern No-Fly Zone (11 Apr 00)
Iraqis fire AAA at ONW aircraft (9 Apr 00)
Iraqis fire AAA at ONW aircraft (5 Apr 00)

And this is only “Northern Watch”, without a part about the “Southern Watch”, were there is even more “action” (see last week). Every time, ONW aircraft “fire back”….

Why to hell is nobody talking about this any more? The US and British crews are flying there every single day. As it seems, they are constantly endangered by Iraqi anti-aircraft units, and engaged bombing something. From time to time, like now in mid-summer, when the press cannot find anything better, somebody mentions this, but it’s forgoten very easily.

Most of you know me as neutral when it comes to talk about politics (except we talk about Serbs), but I wonder what do the crews who fly missions over Iraq think: where is a sense here and how long will this be continued? Is there any “strategy” behind this? I think not any more.

From a military standpoint, there are already several real reasons for concern: because of the new Iraqi tactics and weapons, AGM-88 became obsolete and US planes operate now only with GPS- or laser-guided bombs. Because menawhile Iraqis certainly have learned to burry everything they have deep under the ground, I’m not sure any more that cruise-missile attacks would be very effective either (except hitting evacuated HQs and other larger targets). There are talks about developing concrete-bombs, in order for the Americans to be able to hit Iraqi targets closer to populated areas. Actually, this is almost remembering me of Vietnam: only there are no US aircraft lost (which doesn’t means that this aint gonna happen sooner or later)…

And finally, let we not forget: the longer the US and British are fighting Iraqis, the more they give Iraqis chance to develop or smuggle better weapons. With the time, Iraqis have also learned many things (certainly, Iraq is also a test-ground for the next generation of US and British weapons)…

Who will be the first one to get out of ammunition there? The Iraqis should have lost all their remaining SAM batteries and AAA sites in the meantime, but the ammo depots of the USAF, USN and the RAF have also their ceilings…