The Iraq War - Chapter 4

[waioli kai]

pre Shock 'n Awe" ?

pre-war levels; i.e., prior to US's United States' "Shock 'n Awe" ?

Reconstruction from what? Iraq (US $upplicants, via US's $addam Hussein) post Iraq (US)initiated war on Iran ? US's United States' "Shock 'n Awe" ? US'$ United States' "Wars on Terror" ?

[Miulang]

Another dangerous coverup?

Janis Karpinski, the highest ranked military officer punished for acts related to Abu Ghraib, testified that Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez issued orders to cover up the cause of death for some female American soldiers serving in Iraq.

"... Last week, Col. Janis Karpinski told a panel of judges at the Commission of Inquiry for Crimes against Humanity Committed by the Bush Administration in New York that several women had died of dehydration because they refused to drink liquids late in the day. They were afraid of being assaulted or even raped by male soldiers if they had to use the women's latrine after dark.

The latrine for female soldiers at Camp Victory wasn't located near their barracks, so they had to go outside if they needed to use the bathroom. "There were no lights near any of their facilities, so women were doubly easy targets in the dark of the night," Karpinski told retired US Army Col. David Hackworth in a September 2004 interview. It was there that male soldiers assaulted and raped women soldiers. So the women took matters into their own hands. They didn't drink in the late afternoon so they wouldn't have to urinate at night. They didn't get raped. But some died of dehydration in the desert heat, Karpinski said...."

Apparently, Sanchez believed that since women signed up to be part of the war, they deserved whatever happened to them. But does it have to include dying of thirst because you're afraid you're going to get raped by fellow soldiers?

Miulang

[Miulang]

Re: The Iraq War - Chapter 4

The DoD's "Stop loss" policy stinks.

"...When soldiers enlist, they sign a contract to serve for a certain number of years, and know precisely when their service obligation ends so they can return to civilian life. But stop-loss allows the Army, mindful of having fully manned units, to keep soldiers on the verge of leaving the military.

Under the policy, soldiers who normally would leave when their commitments expire must remain in the Army, starting 90 days before their unit is scheduled to depart, through the end of their deployment and up to another 90 days after returning to their home base.

With yearlong tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, some soldiers can be forced to stay in the Army an extra 18 months...."

I wonder if the increasing number of US casualties (along with the upsurge in "enemy" activity) can be attributed to overtired, overstressed and inattentive (depressed) troops on the front line who know the government is not honoring its commitments? If the occupation of Iraq continues at the current pace, I fear that a draft is imminent.
Miulang

[Miulang]

Re: The Iraq War - Chapter 4

Because US intelligence greatly underestimated the strength of the insurgency in Iraq, more than $5 billion out of an aid package worth $18.4 billion has had to be spent on increasing security.

"...Guerrilla attacks in Iraq have forced the cancellation of more than 60 percent of water and sanitation projects, in part because American intelligence failed to predict the brutal insurgency, a US government audit said.

American goals to fix Iraq's infrastructure will never be reached, mainly because insurgents have chased away contractors and forced the diversion of repair funds into security, according to an audit of the Iraqi Relief and Reconstruction Program released last week. It is the latest in a series of auditing reports being issued by the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction.

The rise of Iraq's insurgency was never envisioned by US officials, who originally budgeted about 9 percent of reconstruction aid for project security, the audit said.

As kidnappings, killings and sabotage drove local laborers and foreign technicians from the reconstruction program, US administrators were forced to step up protection for workers.

New measures like armored vehicles, private security teams and blast walls absorbed as much as 22 percent of project costs, according to the audit by the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction...

"...Of the 425 planned electric projects, 300 will be finished, meaning ambitious US promises to restore Iraqi power will not be fulfilled.

Projects canceled include $1 billion for six generating plants across Iraq, which will cut back US-funded increases in Iraq's power generation capacity from a planned 3,400 megawatts to 2,109 megawatts, the report said. The stated monthly goal was 6,000 megawatts...."

And with increasing reports of gross fiscal incompetence on the part of the Administrators of the Reconstruction fund (a la Paul Bremer et al) and other evidence of corruption in the handling of the funds, perhaps it would have been better for us to just hand the money over to the Iraqis and let them do what they thought was necessary, letting them put their own people to work. They would probably have been a whole lot more successful at it than we apparently have been (Riverbend in her blog had mentioned the rebuilding of Iraq after the 1991 invasion as only having taken a little more than a year, and they accomplished this with their own money and using unemployed professional people). We obviously don't have a clue what the Iraqis really need to put their country back together again. No wonder the average Iraqi citizen doesn't trust us.

Miulang

[Miulang]

Re: The Iraq War - Chapter 4

I find it awfully ironic that with the 3rd anniversary of our occupation of Iraq on March 19 coming up, that we should engage our BlackHawks and some troops in a little adventure called "Operation Swarmer" today. I know Bush's advisers are sweating bullets because of the nation's unhappiness at the progress of the war, but this is just plain showboating. The timing of this little exercise is impeccable, but I doubt this will change anyone's minds about our being in Iraq or that the Prez' popularity will go up at all.

One of the commentators (retired former general or something) on cable said this evening that the US is only "flying the helicopters" and the Iraqi security forces (some 500-650 soldiers) are doing all the dirty work in Samarra (where the Golden Mosque was blown up about a month ago and what started the latest round of secterian fighting), but unless the footage they were showing tonight to describe the action in Samarra was file footage, none of the "soldiers" looked Iraqi to me...they all looked pretty white bread American. MSNBC in the meantime reported that there were about 650 US troops and 800 Iraqi troops involved in the maneuver.

And what's the cost? Well, as of day one, for the umpteen millions we've spent on this escapade, they apparently captured about 40 possible terrorists. Doesn't sound very cost effective to me.

Miulang

[waioli kai]

imperialUSt$ lay waste

In the name of

"If I can't have it nobody can," imperialUSt$ lay waste and design to lay waste.

Not enough to make peace is a dozen years of USrael's genocidal economic sanctions and undeclared warfare on the nation of Iraq, followed by a couple weeks of "Shock and Awe" destruction and three years of USrael sponsored and directed "reconstruction".

USrael's U.S. armed force's civilian directors Rice, Rumsfeld, Cheney, Reich, Bolton, Negroponte club of former (albeit still) rabid militarist anti-communists, can only foresee their terrorUSt "War on Terror" de-occupation of Iraq in tandem with their desired obliteration of post-Shah Iran... don't worry about a pretext to act on their desires, terrorUSts will find one, create one, one way or another.

United States' terrorUSts know they need such a diversion, such new warfare to escape the justice they know many U.S. citizens and others want to await terrorUSts in this ever more enlightened world of peoples beyond nations of militarist nationalism.

[waioli kai]

USrael nationalUSt insecurity

Operation Swarmer** U.S. launcheslargest Iraq air assault in 3 years March 16: The U.S. military leads an offensive in Iraq dubbed Operation Swarmer.

Iraqi, Coalition Forces Launch Air Assault WASHINGTON, March 16, 2006 – Iraqi and coalition forces today launched the largest air assault operation since the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom (aka Operation Iraqi Liberation) in southern Salah Ad Din province to clear a suspected insurgent operating area northeast of Samarra, military officials reported...

....
The President’s National Security Strategy For Immediate Release March 16, 2006

Prevent Our Enemies from Threatening Us, Our Allies, and Our Friends

If necessary we do not rule out the use of force before attacks occur.

The White House, George W. Bush

====== ====== =========


** "The name 'Swarmer' was derived from the name given to the largest peacetime airborne maneuvers ever conducted, in spring 1950 in North Carolina. Soon after this exercise, the 187th Infantry was selected to deploy to Korea as an Airborne Regimental Combat Team to provide Gen. MacArthur with an airborne capability."

...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11857580/
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Mar2...0316_4504.html
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/relea.../20060316.html

[Miulang]

Re: The Iraq War - Chapter 4

I don't place all the blame for this massacre of innocent villagers on the US troops who bound, gagged and shot them in the head (one victim was 7 months old) and then tried to blow up the evidence. I mostly blame the people in the White House and Congress and the leaders of the US forces for these war crimes.

What was the cost? 11 members of an Iraqi family, including 5 children, dead. 1 terrorist killed. Oh wait, I forgot. Any Iraqi civilians who might get caught in the middle of the crossfire are not to be considered human beings, just "collateral damage."

Miulang

[Miulang]

Re: The Iraq War - Chapter 4

This is the price of our occupation in Iraq and Afghanistan: $9.8 BILLION a month (compared to the last FY, which averaged $6.8 billion), up 44% from 2005. I thought we were supposed to be stepping back and letting the Iraqis take over this war?

This morning, there was also news that the Navy may ship up to 1,000 Naval personnel to Iraq to supplement troops there. I imagine that those sailors aren't going to be too thrilled to be taken off their ships to go work in the desert. Some people from the Seattle area will probably be deployed; don't know if it will impact Pearl Harbor.

Miulang

[Miulang]

Operation Swarmer--Just a photo op?

While most cable networks pronounced "Operation Swarmer" the largest airlift in Iraq in years, the print media came up with diametrically opposing descriptions of the event, which was staged on the eve of the 3rd anniversary of our occupation of Iraq.

So is Time Magazine or AP telling the truth? Did AP get its info from the White House?

Miulang

[Miulang]

Re: The Iraq War - Chapter 4

Shades of MyLai. Our troops are apparently killing innocent children in their zeal to ferret out suspected insurgents. No wonder the Iraqi population hates us so much.

At the very bottom of the story are thumbnail pictures of the murdered children. Please don't scroll down to the end or click on the thumbnails to enlarge them if you don't have a strong stomach because it will just make your heart hurt too much. These were pictures taken of some of the 11 members of one Iraqi family who were killed by US troops on March 15.


Miulang

[waioli kai]

USraeli mischief = US War Iraq

Is Iraq closer to democracy or civil war three years after the war began?

How can Iraq not already be in civil war in a major section inside the U.S. recognized borders of U.S. occupied Iraq? Since Kuwaiti emirs came knocking at the U.S. Treasury to begin cashing out of the Treasury's bond scheme because Saddam's Iraq had forced the Kuwait royal sycophancy to pack their bags for a new address in the West, terrorUSt$ have nutured conditions for civil insurrection in Iraq: the terrorUSts' invasion of Iraq was the last USraeli mischief needed to ignite insurrection.

[waioli kai]

Iraq, quality of life demise

Reuters Odd News Summary

LONDON, April 11 — Zurich is the city with the highest quality of life in 2006, while Baghdad, for the third year running, has the lowest, a survey published Monday shows. ...

The CheneyBush administration's "Spreading Democracy in the World", beginning with their nation building (cornerstone being destruction via terrorUSts' Operation Iraqi Liberation) in Iraq was/is most obviously not a democratic process.

One may wonder on where in the scale of 'City Quality of Life' comparisons Baghdad registered prior to terrorUSts' March 2003 demockery mission in Baghdad?...prior to terrorUSt$' 1990's economic sanctions on Iraq?

[Miulang]

Our little "home away from home"

Well, folks, when the dust finally clears in Iraq, we, the people of the United States of America will have a little piece of the US right in the middle of Baghdad. A billion or so dollars of our tax money that is funding the Iraq war has been diverted to the construction of a massive, well reinforced city within a city that is being called the "US Embassy". Now we can act like the Roman Catholics and have our own little country within another country, where we will be immune from the laws of Iraq and where we can continue to wheel and deal for our precious oil. The only difference is the Vatican police don't have the power to kill anyone; the armed guards (Marines and Army) who will stand guard at the gates of the Embassy will.

Miulang

[waioli kai]

US Mideast "home away from home"

Billions of so-called "Reconstruction" monies have gone into the construction and maintenance of more than just the new, gargantuan US Embassy in Iraq. But for the substitution of Arabic words for Native American words the camps and bases could as well be the names given to such US facilities stretched across the American West into the Pacific. Obviously, when the Rumsfeld Military went into Iraq they had no intention of ever leaving, and, they still have no such plans for leaving:

US Iraq Facilities

Camps

Camp Adder [Tallil AB]
Camp Al Asad [al-Asad AB]
Camp Al-Hurya Al-Awal [Baquba AF]
Camp Al-Istiqlaal [Baghdad AB]
Camp Al-Saqr [Rasheed AB]
Camp Anaconda [Balad AB]
Camp Baharia [Fallujah]
Camp Balad [Balad AB]
Camp Basilone [Qalat Sukar AB]
Camp Cedar [Tallil AB]
Camp Cedar II [Tallil AB]
Camp Chesty [Kut AB]
Camp Claiborne [Mosul AB]
Camp Condor [Amarah AB]
Camp Cooke [Taji AB]
Camp Cropper [Baghdad IAP]
Camp Cuervo [Rasheed AB]
Camp Diamondback [Mosul AB]
Camp Dogwood [al-Iskandaryah AB]
Camp Falcon [Rasheed AB]
Camp Ferrin-Huggins [Rasheed AB]
Camp Freedom I [Baquba AF]
Camp Graceland [Rasheed AB]
Camp Griffin [Baghdad IAP]
Camp Headhunter [Baghdad AB]
Camp Independence [Baghdad AB]
Camp Lancer [K-2 AB]
Camp Manhattan [Habbaniyah AB]
Camp Marez [Mosul AB]
Camp Muleskinner [Rasheed AB]
Camp Pacesetter [Samarra East AB]
Camp Qayyarah [Quyarrah AB]
Camp Redcatcher [Rasheed AB]
Camp Renegade [Kirkuk AB]
Camp Ridgway/Ridgeway [Al Taqaddum AB]
Camp Rustamiyah [Rasheed AB]
Camp Sather [Baghdad IAP]
Camp Speicher [al-Sahra AB]
Camp Stryker [Baghdad IAP]
Camp Sycamore [al-Sahra AB]
Camp Taqaddum [Al Taqaddum AB]
Camp Taji [Taji AB]
Camp Viper [Jalibah AB]
Camp Warhorse [Baquba AF]
Camp Whitford [Tallil AB]

Forward Operating Bases, Air Bases and Airports

FOB al-Asad [al-Asad AB]
FOB Bernstein [Tuz Khurmatu AB]
FOB Chosin [Al Iskandariyah AB]
FOB Cooke [Taji AB]
FOB Delta [Kut AB]
FOB Endurance [Quyarrah AB]
FOB Ferrin-Huggins [Rasheed AB]
FOB Glory [Mosul AB]
FOB Grant [Tal Ashtah AB]
FOB Guardian City [Al Taqaddum AB]
FOB Gunner [Taji AB]
FOB Headhunter [Baghdad AB]
FOB Manhattan [Habbaniyah AB]
FOB McKenzie [Samarra East AB]
FOB Morgan [Baghdad IAP]
FOB Muleskinner [Rasheed AB]
FOB Pacesetter [Samarra East AB]
FOB Q-West [Quyarrah AB]
FOB Ridgway/Ridgeway [Al Taqaddum AB]
FOB Speicher [al-Sahra AB]
FOB Warhorse [Baquba AF]
FOB Warrior [Kirkuk AB]
FOB Webster [Al Asad AB]
FOB Wyatt [Balad AB]

Other Nomenclature,

Engineer Base Anvil [Rasheed AB]
Fire Base Glory [Mosul AB]
FLB Sycamore [al-Sahra AB]
LSA Adder [Tallil AB]
LSA Anaconda [Balad AB]
LSA Diamondback [Mosul AB]
LSA Viper [Jalibah AB]
OBJ Jaguar [Quyarrah AB]
OBJ Redskins [Al Taqaddum AB]
OBJ Weber [al-Asad AB]
TSP Whitford [Tallil AB]
Stryker Island [Baghdad IAP]
Bashur AB
H-1 Airstrip
Kirkuk AB
Kut AB
Redcatcher Field [Rasheed AB]
Tall 'Afar AB

Former Presidential Palaces

mp Al-Hurya Al-Thani [Green Zone]
Camp Al-Isdehar [Al Salam]
Camp al-Nasr [Abu Ghurayb]
Camp Al-Sharaf [Green Zone]
Camp al-Tahreer [Abu Ghurayb]
Camp Al-Tawheed Al-Awal [Al Sijood]
Camp Al-Tawheed Al-Thani [Al Sijood]
Camp Al-Watani [Green Zone]
Camp Arkansas [Al Salam]
Camp Blackjack [Abu Ghurayb]
Camp Blue Diamond [Ar Ramadi]
Camp Cobra [Abu Ghurayb]
Camp Dragoon [Baghdad]
Camp Freedom II [Green Zone]
Camp Greywolf [Al Sijood]
Camp Freedom [Mosul]
Camp Honor [Green Zone]
Camp Hurricane Point [Ar Ramadi]
Camp Iron Horse [Green Zone]
Camp Ironhorse [Tikrit]
Camp Junction City [Ar Ramadi]
Camp Liberty [Abu Ghurayb]
Camp Outlaw [Green Zone]
Camp Patriot [Green Zone]
Camp Prosperity [Al Salam]
Camp Raider [Tikrit]
Camp Slayer [Radwaniyah]
Camp Steel Dragon [Green Zone]
Camp Steel Falcon [Dora Farms]
Camp Union I [Al Sijood]
Camp Union II [Al Sijood]
Camp Victory [Abu Ghurayb]
Camp Victory (51 Papa) [Abu Ghurayb]
Camp Victory North [Abu Ghurayb]
Camp Warrior [Al Sijood]
Camp Wolfpack [Green Zone]
FOB Al-Tawheed Al-Thalith [Green Zone]
FOB Blue Diamond [Ar Ramadi]
FOB Champion Base [Ar Ramadi]
FOB Cobra [Abu Ghurayb]
FOB Danger [Tikrit]
FOB Eden [Hit]
FOB Hurricane [Ar Ramadi]
FOB Ironhorse [Tikrit]
FOB Junction City [Ar Ramadi]
FOB Paliden Base [Ar Ramadi]
FOB Raider [Tikrit]
FOB Sabre [Ar Ramadi]
FOB Steel Dragon [Green Zone]
FOB Trojan Horse [Green Zone]
FOB Union III [Green Zone]
Champion Main [Ar Ramadi]
Champion Base [Ar Ramadi]
Essayons Base [Republican Palace]
Hurricane Base [Ar Ramadi]
Loyalty Base [Ar Ramadi]
Rifles Base (3 ACR) [Ar Ramadi]
Victory Base [Abu Ghurayb]
Firebase Shoemaker [Ar Ramadi]
LSA Highlander [Al Salam]
Green Zone [Baghdad]
International Zone [Baghdad]
Post Freedom [Mosul]
Al Azimiyah Palace
Saddamiat Al-Tharthar

Other Locations

Camp ? ? ? ? ? ? [Dahuk]
Camp Abu Naji [Al Amarah]
Camp Al-Adala [Kadhamiyah/Baghdad]
Camp Al-Amal [Baghdad]
Camp Al-Tadamun [Adhamiyah/Baghdad]
Camp Andaluz [Kufa]
Camp Anderson [Diwaniyeh]
Camp Arrow [Ad Dawr]
Camp Avalanche [Abu Ghurayb Prison]
Camp Ashraf
Camp Babylon
Camp Black Jack
Camp Bonzai [Kadhamiyah/Baghdad]
Camp Boom [Baquba]
Camp Brassfield-Mora [Samarra]
Camp Bucca [Umm Qasr]
Camp Bushmaster [Najaf]
Camp Caldwell [Kirkush]
Camp Cold Steel
Camp Eagle III [Najaf]
Camp Duke [Najaf]
Camp Eagle [Baghdad]
Camp Edson [Diwaniyeh]
Camp Fallujah [I MEF]
Camp Fenway [Qalat Sukar]
Camp Ganci [Abu Ghurayb Prison]
Camp Golf [Najaf]
Camp Gunslinger [Adhamiyah/Baghdad]
Camp Hope [Diwaniyeh]
Camp Justice [Kadhamiyah/Baghdad]
Camp Hope [Baghdad]
Camp Hotel [Najaf]
Camp Jennings [Al Amarah]
Camp Korean Village [Ar Rutbah/H-3(?)]
Camp Leader [Mosul]
Camp Libeccio [Nasiriyah]
Camp Lima [Baghdad]
Camp Marlboro [Sadr City]
Camp Mercury
Camp Normandy [Muqdadiyah]
Camp Nakamura [Nippur]
Camp Paliwoda [Balad]
Camp Performance [Mosul]
Camp Redemption [Abu Ghurayb Prison]
Camp Scania [Nippur]
Camp Solidarity [Adhamiyah/Baghdad]
Camp St. Mere [Fallujah]
Camp Strike [Mosul]
Camp Top Gun [Mosul]
Camp Ultimo [Baghdad]
Camp Vigilant [Abu Ghurayb Prison]
Camp War Eagle [Baghdad]
Camp Whitehorse
Camp Zadan [Zadan]
FOB ? ? ? ? ? ? [Daquq]
FOB Arrow [Ad Dawr]
FOB Buzz
FOB Brassfield-Mora [Samarra]
FOB Caldwell [Kirkush]
FOB Duke [Najaf]
FOB Eagle [Balad]
FOB Gabe [Baquba]
FOB Kalsu [Iskandariyah]
FOB Laurie [Fallujah]
FOB Lion [Balad AB]
FOB Melody [Sadr City]
FOB Mercury [Fallujah]
FOB Normandy [Muqdadiyah]
FOB Packhorse [Tikrit]
FOB Rough Rider [Mandali]
FOB St. Mere [Fallujah]
FOB St. Michael [Mahmudiyah]
FOB Tiger [Al Qaim]
FOB Scania [Nippur]
FOB Volturno [Fallujah]
FOB War Eagle [Baghdad]
FOB Wilson [Ad Dawr]
Firebase Melody [Sadr City]
Log Base Seitz
Tiger Base [Al Qaim]
Butler Range Complex
Hard Site [Abu Ghurayb]
CMOC Ar Ramadi
CMOC Baghdad
CMOC Diwaniyah
CMOC Mosul
CMOC Samarra
CSC Scania [Nippur]
CJTF Babylon
Baghdad Convention Center
Haditha Dam
Hillah
al-Kûfah []
MFK Compound
Sinjar
Taji Military Camp

Un-Identified

Camp Bushwacker
Camp Red Knight
Camp Sustainer
Camp Thunder
FOB Bandit Island [1 AD]
FOB Broomhead (3 ACR)
FOB Byers (3 ACR)
FOB Echo
FOB Givens (3 ACR)
FOB Latham (3 ACR)
FOB Miller (3 ACR)
FOB O'Ryan (TF 2-108)
FOB Quinn (3 ACR)
FOB Summerall

And then there are US Central Command Primary Deployment Facilities, Logistics Facilities, Training Facilities, Operation ENDURING FREEDOM Contingency Sites.

To the nearest 1000 here is an estimate of early 2005 US troop population of 148,000 was spread Iraq Facilities - Early 2005 around Iraq.

Camp and base names have evolved over the years, adopting Arabic names at the expense of dropping US point-of-view names. For example:

Mujahedin-E Khalq (MEK) Training Camp
Camp Fallujah
FOB St. Mere was renamed Camp Fallujah when the US Marine Corps cast off the Army's monikers for their new homes as part of a wider USMC effort to put an Iraqi face on the Corps' mission.

An order issued March 25, 2004, by I MEF's commanding general, directed that all base names be changed immediately. As a result, and to connect with the local communities, the new camps' names were associated with the local urban or geographical areas that they are near.

.