U.S. says captured over 100 tanks in central Iraq

Reuters | Thursday, April 10, 2003

[JohnHuang2]

U.S. says captured over 100 tanks in central Iraq

AS SAYLIYA CAMP, Qatar, April 10 (Reuters) - U.S. Central Command said on Thursday that its forces had captured more than 100 tanks in an area north of the central Iraqi city of Kerbala.

"Over the last 24 hours the 3rd Infantry Division has captured more than 100 tanks in an area north of Kerbala," Captain Frank Thorp told reporters. "I'm not characterising it as a battle, we're still assessing what the situation was."

[JohnHuang2]

Thursday, April 10, 2003

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[FreedomPoster]

I wonder how many will end up on concrete pads in front of unit HQ's here in the U.S.?

[TigerLikesRooster]

RE #3

We will have enough captured tanks and other weapons for running realistic military exercise. Americans will have enough enemy ground weapons. But where could they capture enough Soviet or French combar aircrafts ? That could be the problem.

[struwwelpeter]

I wonder how many will end up on concrete pads in front of unit HQ's here in the U.S.?

Though not as tacky as lawn flamingos and jockeys with lanterns, they are a bit curious in front of a supply company's HQ.

[CatoRenasci]

they are a bit curious in front of a supply company's HQ.

Not for the 507th Maintenance Company.

[AAABEST]

I thought they were telling us just yesterday that there were only 20 left. Did they give 80 of them back?

[battlecry]

I heard something similar. Twelve left, I recall.

[katana]

A few no doubt, but the rest may form the core of an armored brigade of the new Free Iraqi Army. I trust we are not going to give them M1's or Chieftains. The adults should always keep the very best toys for themselves.

[CholeraJoe]

Muslims can only fight against children or with sneak attack murder. Whenever they face a real military, they crap their pants, drop their weapons, and run as fast as they can in the other direction.

I would submit that the mujahadeen, who defeated the best army the Soviet Union could muster, would take issue with your statement.

[Flint]

I would submit that the mujahadeen, who defeated the best army the Soviet Union could muster, would take issue with your statement."

All that attests to is the condtion and quality of the "Great Soviet Army".

[Gefreiter]

Coming soon to a VFW post near you....barely used T55/64/72.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Maybe a few. But the new Iraqi government will need them, too.

[Illbay]

Agreed, but with some dubious exceptions, the Mujahedeen were AFGHANS, who are fierce fighters, not Arabs.

The stupid equivalence of "Arab" = "Muslim" is growing tiresome.

Islam is a religion.

Arabs are not particularly good fighters, period. They languished for 700 years under the Turkish yoke, and were unable to do a thing to throw it off until a measly British "LEF-tenant" named Lawrence appeared to lead them.

Outnumbering the Israelis about six-to-one, they were defeated by them every time, even after launching a "sneak attack" at Yom Kippur.

Our soldiers and marines have been uniform in their assessment: "They seem to be very brave, but very reckless. They keep coming, wave after wave, and they keep dying, wave after wave."

Name a great Arab "military leader." There may have been one, but I can't think of who it might have been.

OTOH, there HAVE been great MUSLIM military leaders, such as Saladin, a Kurdish Saracen.

The great Islamic military forces have included:

The Ottoman Turks - Obviously not Arabs.

The Saracens - A mixture of Arab, Turk and Kurd (Saladin was a Saracen, but Kurdish).

The Mameluks - A "warrior-caste" made up of men who'd been purchased as infants in the region of what is now Georgia (then called Circassia), and trained by Saladin as his personal shock-troops. Similar to "Janissaries", below. They continued for many centuries, and were most notably used by Bonaparte to first conquer and then govern Egypt.

The Mughals - Turkish conquerors of India.

The Janissaries - composed of war captives and Christian youths pressed into Ottoman service; all the recruits were converted to Islam and trained under the strictest discipline. They became so powerful that they were essentially "emperor makers" in the old Ottoman Empire, and finally had to be destroyed by Sultan Mahmud II in 1826.

The last ARAB army victory I can recall was that of the Battle of Yarmuk in AD 636, where they crushed the Byzantines and drove them out of Syria.

It is obvious from the above, that Arabs can fight IF a non-Arab leads them. Therefore, they are most reliably described as "good cannon-fodder."

[Paleo Conservative]

A few no doubt, but the rest may form the core of an armored brigade of the new Free Iraqi Army. I trust we are not going to give them M1's or Chieftains. The adults should always keep the very best toys for themselves.

No. We should not let the Iraqis keep any Soviet tanks. Those tanks require Russian made spare parts and ammuninition. Perhaps they could have some stripped down refurbished M-60's. That way we have a lot of control over their use.

[FreedomPoster]

I think a combo of your posts nails it. The T55's and T62's will make great trophies, along with some of the highly damaged but cosmetic

Running T72's go to the Free Iraq Armored Brigade.

[OnAMission]

The last ARAB army victory I can recall was that of the Battle of Yarmuk in AD 636, where they crushed the Byzantines and drove them out of Syria.

Man you have a good memory! ;)

[Brett66]

Yeah, they're going to need enough of an army after we leave to fend off the Turks, Iranians, etc. Dangerous part of the world over there.