Big explosion shakes downtown Baghdad

[minibush1]

Big explosion shakes downtown Baghdad

Posted on Fri, Sep. 19, 2003
Associated Press

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A big explosion rocked central Baghdad late Friday and a huge cloud of smoke was seen rising from the direction of Martyrs' Square, where the American military maintains a base.

The explosion shook the Palestine Hotel about 2 1/2 miles away from where it was believed to have occurred.

No other details were available.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Crap. We don't need more of this. Anyone find anything else? I haven't yet.

 

[CaptnKirk]

Information is coming in slowly - this is from Reuters

So far no confirmation of casualties, hope that holds up that way.

 

[kage69]

Crap, I can't find anything either....might have been another truck like on the UN building... they're sayingit was big

 

[CADsortaGUY]

according the radio news(abc network) the reports are that there were NO American forces near the bomb. It is supposedly a roadside bomb that went off "early".

Just reporting what the radio was saying to me

CkG

 

[DealMonkey]

Right, looks like a road-side bomb. Al Jazeera (english) has a report on it.

EDIT: By the way, that seems to be the defacto method of attacking US troops. Set off a road-side bomb as units roll by. Pop up out of the nearby terrain and attack with RPGs and small-arms fire.

 

[tcsenter]

EDIT: By the way, that seems to be the defacto method of attacking US troops. Set off a road-side bomb as units roll by. Pop up out of the nearby terrain and attack with RPGs and small-arms fire

You don't say!

 

[mastertech01]

We need a couple Apache helicoptors to escort our convoys. Anyone hiding along the roadside with RPG or other assault weapons get a free trip to hell before they get a chance to attack. And a mine sweeper at the head of the convoy.

 

[DealMonkey]

Originally posted by: mastertech01
We need a couple Apache helicoptors to escort our convoys. Anyone hiding along the roadside with RPG or other assault weapons get a free trip to hell before they get a chance to attack. And a mine sweeper at the head of the convoy.

I think they were using that strategy towards the beginning of the war. My understanding was that Apache's were getting shot up pretty badly over in Iraq with a few taken down completely and crewman taken, etc., etc. The mine sweeper might be a good idea though.

The U.S. Army's only disastrous operation in Gulf War II (at least the only one we know about) took place on March 24, when 33 Apache helicopters were ordered to move out ahead of the 3rd Infantry Division and to attack an Iraqi Republican Guard regiment in the suburbs of Karbala. Meeting heavy fire from small arms and shoulder-mounted rocket-propelled grenades, the Apaches flew back to base, 30 of them shot up, several disablingly so. One helicopter was shot down in the encounter, and its two crewmen were taken prisoner.

Linked

 

[mastertech01]

Well that incident happened during the major offensive to take Iraq. From my understanding is now they attack in small groups and run. If we have them patrol ahead of the convoy on both sides of the highway (of course with prior warnings a couple weeks in advance to the general population of the consequences of interfering with convoys in transit) with general orders to shoot any group of agressors heavily armed which appear to be in ambush posture, it MAY curtail some of these hit and run attacks. No guarantee that it will work or wont backfire on them, but you gotta try something to show you mean business when it comes to securing our troops. I just cant see us continuing on running around like sitting ducks like we did in Vietnam.

 

[burnedout]

Originally posted by: tcsenter

EDIT: By the way, that seems to be the defacto method of attacking US troops. Set off a road-side bomb as units roll by. Pop up out of the nearby terrain and attack with RPGs and small-arms fire

You don't say!

Fairly standard tactic. Initiate the ambush with the most powerful weapon. Claymores, TNT and C-4 happen to be SOP during patrolling and chance ambushes.

 

[CaptnKirk]

Most effective 'Convoy' ambush was to wait in an area, and then nail the lead vehicle and the trailing vehicle
thereby blocking advancement and retreat, which boxes the middle, then apply the pincers, working back
from the front and forward from the rear, each element having to deal with the least amount of resistance.

That's how the Viet Minh crushed the French in 'Nam, and had we not had helicopter gunships and air
support for convoy cover in 'Nam we would have had a more rugged time than we did have.
The road between An Khe and Pleiku in the Central Hilands was especially bad,
Yang Mang Pass was our nightmare