Re: More Friendly Fire Losses!!!

Originally posted by Twilight2002
Its just been reported that a British Challanger-2 tank accidentally engaged a second British tank of the same type and scored a direct hit with a HEAT shell, killing 2 crew members.
Whoops…
This is getting awfully messy. Is it just because we have more press coverage that we actually are finding out the truth behind friendly-fire, or did we just have less in the first gulf war?

How do they mistake their own?? Even at night they should be able to tell the difference from Iraqi T-55s and T-72s surely.

Originally posted by Dazza
They’ve also got a defence budget the U.K. armed forces can only dream about!

Regards, Dazza.

Hardly surprising when the US armed forces is a much larger collective organisation. But you are right though, the US tend to spend a lot more on R&D for defence pretty much because they can.

Hmm

Has the US declared war yet?
They are just (according to them) enforcing a UN resolution that doesn’t have the support of the UNSC. Does that count as a war or is it a police action?

Garry makes a good point. Does it have to be a war officially before the GC has any hold?

I didn’t think you were the type to beleive something just because it comes from a western source, or to disbeleive something if it doesn’t.

I am not that naive. But the figures and facts coming from Iraqi offcials and Al-Jazeera TV have been incredibly dubious to say the least so one has to wonder about casuality numbers too. When I say ‘our’ sources, I mean independent non-combat related sources such as aid agencies, like the Red Cross. There is no way we will know the full toll on civilians until well after this war is over. Until then the Iraqis can say, and probably will say what they like to do more harm to the US politically.

Well..

-Saddam would escape….NO.

Was it widely believed he would?

-The regime would colapse in the first 72 hours……NO

News to me.

-Mass surenders……..NO (even the tiny small port town not under control yet). Heavy resistence everywhere…..

They over-estimated this I agree, but one can hardly be surprised by resistance when elite/loyal troops are inter-woven in with regulars and their country is been invaded after all.

-The Iraqis saying hello to the troops and being happy….NO
why could someone think (except the three figures) that the people would be happy after being invaded. They could hate Saddam, but they get united as their country is being attacked.

Yes and No, some have prasied the US-led force as liberators, others want aid and don’t care who rules, and others still believe Saddam is better. A mixed bag really.

-Few civilians killed………….NO…75 in Basora, and six blocks already hit in Bagdad……weren´t there intelligent bombs?.

Even smart bombs will fail with malfunctions. And the figures for civilian dead is yet to be confirmed from our sources.

-Friendly fire again. Helicopters crashes…….planes down in Bagdad……

Its war, this happens even with the best intentions to try and stop it.

-Secure oil fields….NO….many being burned up.

Not as many as first thought and all the fields in the South around Al Faw and surrounding areas are secured.

-Turks getting into Kurdistan…oppps something serious to control the region.

Only a small force of Turks so far, not a serious threat to anyone yet. The US are now moving troops in as well.

I think the campaign is going as well as can be expected without the planned Northern front’s 60,000 additional US troops. They are still advancing on Baghdad but have encountered more resistance than expected and probably made one too many pre-war promises that have installed false hope in many I guess for a quick, rather bloodless, over-whelming campaign. War is messy which ever way you look at it and with the media picking over the set-backs like surgeons of detail, its hardly surprising to have our pre-war illusions shattered. However, messy it may seem, the advance on Baghdad continues relentlessly. The US will see it through. How long it will take? Anyones guess now, but I think it may be longer than a week or two.

Aghhh..

Originally posted by GarryB
Glenn
What do you expect the people to do. Stay at home and pretend they don’t mind that the US government made a decision quit a few months back and has ignored everyone’s opinion and gone ahead an invaded a country. Not even the UN was able to stop them because they knew it wouldn’t so it didn’t even ask. The Australian Government has also supported the US decision despite what you call 50-50 balance on the issue, and Blair has gone out of his way to ignore the will of his people. The only countries that seem to be saying what their people want is France and Germany and they are chastised for it by the great democracies of the UK and US.
Now that the war has started is no reason to shut up and just pray for the troops.
The fact that the people have not been listened to suggests they will not be listened to now, because we don’t really live in democracies. Is that a good reason not to voice an opinion?
They are not doing any harm by marching.

Garry,

Bloody hell, I know they are not doing any harm and I expect people to do what they want in a FREE country. Again, I just think its a waste of time, thats all, and thats my opinion – thats all. Crickey, I think I will refrain from any political arguments here in future, I don’t have time to have to keep explaining myself over and over. 😡

I don’t care if you’d go out on the streets for something you care about or not, that’s not the point.

But that has been my point from the start!

I don’t see why they would bother doing it, its not working, the war rages on, and popular opinion FOR the war here in Oz is actually on the up. Thats why you won’t find me out there even if I did sternly oppose this conflict. I am not one to get personal and start protesting on the streets, I am an analyst and will study it and write about it, make my views known elsewhere in other ways.

Thats my stance.

As for the protesters, well I can assure you some of the people questioned have spoken for a lot longer than 3 seconds, and I do know how the the news works today. War time – and related -coverage like this is typically extended and more detailed than regular news slots.

I didn’t know you were in the media and this would explain your lenghty response as I have been passively critical of it, but I am sure you are a fine professional. Agree to disagree then.

Happy B’day..

Hope it was a good one! All the best! 🙂