Study Says Iraq Insurgents Use Advanced Weapons -NYT

[NNN0LHI]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=564&ncid=716&e=14&u=/nm/20040118/ts_nm/iraq_weapons_dc

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Iraqi guerrillas are using increasingly sophisticated weapons and tactics to attack U.S. aircraft, according to a classified Army study on the downing of helicopters in Iraq (news - web sites), The New York Times reported in Sunday editions.

Citing senior Army officials in Iraq and the Gulf who were familiar with the study, the newspaper reported that at least one advanced missile was used by insurgents.

Rebels have used rocket-propelled grenades and heat-seeking surface-to-air missiles, the latter which require a degree of skill, in the attacks. Scores of U.S. servicemen have died in recent months in a rash of helicopter downings in Iraq. snip

Army officials told the paper that one troubling finding is that on at least one occasion insurgents used an SA-16 shoulder-fired missile, which is harder to thwart than the SA-7 missiles and rocket-propelled grenades used in other attacks.

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[ozymandius]

1. It is only a matter of time, say I,

before we see a coordinated attack in an urban area in which American ground troops are fired upon following which Amrican air support, moving in to rescue, are snared in an ambush. This seems to be where the lines are moving to conclusion.

I hope I am wrong.

[pfitz59]

2. Suggest you are right....

Iraq is not going away.

[0007]

3. Wouldn't we do the same to protect our country?

We supplied bin Laden to fight the Russians in Afghanistan did we not?

[alcuno]

4. I'm sure that there are people throughout the world who are trying

to stick their fingers in that pie.

[dd123]

5. How much of this stuff do the Iraqis have?

Is this from Saddam or is this new stuff coming in?

[Zech Marquis]

6. I think new stuff is pouring in

scores of people who hate the US now have a one stop place to inflcit harm on US soldirs, thanks to * and Unca Dick :scared: Those fresh GIs are in for a world of hurt I'm afraid...

[KeepItReal]

9. Who knows? We never actually fought most of the Iraqi Army

We paid the leaders not to fight. (http://slate.msn.com/id/2083271/)

Maybe a consequence of not fighting the whole Iraqi Army was the fact that you don't get to confiscate all of their weapons and equipment.

It has been reported that we don't have nearly enough troops to secure all of the ammo dumps in Iraq.

"Saddam's regime had numerous armouries containing every kind of weapon. Gen Ricardo Sanchez, the commander of coalition forces, admits that many dumps are unguarded because there are not enough troops available."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/07/17/wirq17.xml

I think the troops have either been very lucky and/or the Iraqis are holding back.

[leftchick]

7. and bremer keeps refering to them as "terrists"....

They are resistance fighters and won't go away until the US is gone and they have their country back. Simple fact, too bad the neo-cons don't get it....

[are_we_united_yet]

8. I'm feeling safer already

Thanks W for getting us into this.

[NeoConsSuck]

10. I wonder how safe

the top military brass and Halliburton & Kellog feel behind that wall in the Green zone.

Only a matter of time...

[KeepItReal]

11. You see how many times Paul Bremer comes home...

He could just teleconference from Coalition HQ... and save lots of money, right?

Kinda like Bush & Co. being loathe/afraid to stay in the White House for more than a few days at a time?