* REPORT from IRAQ * My TEAM's FIRST Casualties ON MY WATCH

http://www.youtube.com/groups_videos?name=SpartanSixDelta ^ | 17 March 2007 | David Osborne

[davidosborne]

War discussion --

I understand and appreciate how many folks feel about this war.... as evident by the events at our nations capital today.. Ironicly while this event was taking place MY TEAM suffered its first casualties ON MY WATCH..

..I must admit that we are in a VERY difficult position here… if we LEAVE Iraq, I honestly believe that Iraq will become an insurgent battleground.. there will be MULTIPLE civil wars each "group" fighting for power to fill the power void that would be immediately present if we leave….

Once an insurgent group emerges, I can almost assure you that we will be fighting these terrorist at HOME…. I don't know what the solution IS but I do know what it is NOT…

we can NOT fail in Iraq….. failure is defined as forcing Iraq to fight the insurgents WITHOUT our help…. If anyone out there knows of a better way to defend against a "SVBIED" SUICIDE VEHICLE BORNE IMPROVISED EXPLOSIVE DEVICE.... please let me know..

Today MY TEAM suffered OUR first casualties on my watch.... One killed TWO Seriously WOUNDED victim to an SVBIED driving up to one of our checkpoints and the insurgent/terrorist detonating himself, in addition to my 3 guys (1 killed/2 wounded) the terrorist was killed (obviously - blowing himself up in the vehicle) as well as an innocent roadside merchant...

Oh did I mention the fact that MY 3 guys were IRAQIs not American.. does that make any of you "cut and run" folks feel better? Well not me.. My Iraqi team members are as much a friend/collegue as the Americans on my team...

yes.. Iraqis are taking FAR more casualties in this war than we are.. should WE (Americans) just come home and let them fight these terrorist on their own here in Baghdad.....

then we can fight them in Tallahassee... Do we really want another 911 ? only instead of Planes, they might just do the same thing they are doing here with the SVBIED... oh and do you really want police checkpoints at every major intersection in Tallahassee ?? unless you can think of a better way to defend against the SVBIED?

[AuntB]

Your reports are appreciated!

[davidosborne]

passing it on.. Thanks for all your prayers and support for my team... Despite our great loss today we will continue to fight !!

[WFTR]

Okay, here's a stupid idea from a civilian who doesn't understand the situation.

Would it be possible to train dogs to sniff for explosives at each vehicle that came to a check point? If so, could you create a blast barrier behind which the people could wait and watch while the dog did an initial sniff of the vehicle? If the dog smelled explosives, he would be trained to run behind the blast barrier immediately. At that point, you could order the terrorist from the vehicle and detain him or just blow up the terrorist and the vehicle together. Maybe there are so many explosives in Iraq that the dog would find too many false positives. Maybe the terrorists would find some other way to mask the scent. I haven't thought about this question seriously, but the thought jumped into my mind when you mentioned the problem.

Bill

[E.G.C.]

BTTT

[davidosborne]

Great idea.. but yes.. I think the dog would get a POSITIVE reading on every vehicle that enters the checkpoint.. also can search EVERY VEHICLE at EVERY INTERSECTION?

[Eagle Eye]

Sounds like you've seen the process at a couple of camps that I won't name.

At those camps every person gets out of every vehicle and there is a phyiscal inpsection, residue sampling, and sometimes dog sniffing of the vehicle.

And it doesn't matter who it is or how many times one goes through the gates, it is (at least was) 100%.

I can't say that is even possible at every base camp and FOB in Iraq, but it worked in a couple other mideast countries.

The big problem is that if someone is ready, even eager to die for their cause it is going to be hard to stop them.

[davidosborne]

OHHH.. you are talking about basecamps/fobs.. I am talking about checkpoints in the streets of baghdad..

[Eagle Eye]

Blast walls, etc would be difficult if the idea was to be mobile and set up checkpoints quickly and unexpectedly.

Dogs can't work long in the heat and having AC for them at temp checkpoints would be difficult.

[ClaireSolt]

I am glad it was not you. Stay safe.

[WFTR]

First, I haven't seen the process anywhere. I'm afraid that I'm a complete civilian, but I have done a little reading.

Another thought that I had was whether anything in the improvisation of these explosives would leave a heat signature. We're about to buy infrared cameras at the plant to look for various kinds of problems. If the space around the engine compartment of a vehicle were filled with explosives or objects that would become shrapnel, the heat signature of these vehicles might be different. I see a big problem with this technique because the sun relecting off a car body would give false readings on many infrared cameras. However, taking pictures of vehicles with an infrared camera might show some difference between the average car and one with an improvised explosive device.

Again, this thought may not be good, but maybe it will spark an idea in someone who understands what's happening over there.

[James W. Fannin]

Much appreciation for what you do, sir.

[skr]

Prayers are being sent, and that goes for anyone up against evil. Please take care.

[Eagle Eye]

Our combat vehicles have thermal sights that are very, very precise. I do not know to what extent they have been used.

FYI, if you have seen the residue detectors used by the TSA at airports, there are also similar devices that could be used that work by sampling the air around the suspected object.

Actually, your ideas have been more insightful than 99% of those on FR volunteering solutions.

What some don't realize is how difficult it is to make technology military grade, climate survivable, and "private proof".

[archy]

If anyone out there knows of a better way to defend against a "SVBIED" SUICIDE VEHICLE BORNE IMPROVISED EXPLOSIVE DEVICE.... please let me know..

The old M67 90mm recoilless rifle, with either a M371A1 HE round for use against vehicles or using M590 canister against individuals worked reasonably well for base and outpost security in Vietnam, offering clear hits on targets out to 500 meters or better away.

During the period when the USMC barracks in Lebanon was hit, the Russians in the area had 82mm B-10 recoillesses atop their buildings and at checkpoints, though as with our army, the recoilless AT weapons were officially obsolete by then, replaced by wire-guided missiles for antitank use. Unlike our Marines, who were required to carry their M16A1 rifles with their magazines removed, the Russians kept HEAT rounds up the spout in their B-10s and OG-9s.