What Happened at Camp Falcon?

[PatrickHenry]

Did this even get US media coverage?
Falcon Ammo Dump Destruction Photos
http://www.iraq-war.ru/article/105534

[Jack]

Without some text, the pictures aren't telling a story I can follow. But the site hosting that page isn't the kind of place I'd normally look to for news. It also has to be one of the longest webpages I've seen, and I'm on my big monitor tonight.

What's the story behind the pics?

[PatrickHenry]

Quote by: Isherwood What's the story behind the pics?

Did you try the second link? http://www.iraq-war.ru/article/105534
Wiki confirms that the Iraqi resistance destroyed the ammo dump October 10th.
Looks like the US media practically ignored the destruction of a billion dollars in munitions...

[brien]

Quote by: PatrickHenry Did this even get US media coverage? Falcon Ammo Dump Destruction Photos http://www.iraq-war.ru/article/105534

If this is the same incident, I think I saw it as breaking news on Saturday morning during the Fox morning show. But the dates don't jibe. I saw the ammo depot burning "live" this past Saturday, 10. 21.06. This would have had it burning last Sat afternoon in Iraq. Maybe a different incident. Your link for the text doesnt come up for me.

I didn't see anything iin the papers about it.

[RickSp]

I saw the live video feed on CNN. No follow-up and no analysis.

For all intents and purposes things have gotten so bad in Iraq that the US media never seems to leave the Green Zone except as embeds having their hands held by the US military, reporting only what the senior commanders want reported.

[brien]

Quote by: RickSp I saw the live video feed on CNN. No follow-up and no analysis. For all intents and purposes things have gotten so bad in Iraq that the US media never seems to leave the Green Zone except as embeds having their hands held by the US military, reporting only what the senior commanders want reported.

Indeed it is really become a lot worse in recent weeks. The Bush spin is that the insurgents are doing it to affect the outcome of the elections. Nice try, boys. Even if this is true, it clearly demonstrates the influence the insurgents have to create problems in Iraq, and particularly in Baghdad.

General Casey is reporting this morning another 12 to 18 months before Iraqi forces can "take over."

[RickSp]

Quote by: brien General Casey is reporting this morning another 12 to 18 months before Iraqi forces can "take over."

They used to say that "we expect real improvement over the next 6th months." They made that claim every six months or so. Now the timeline is 12 to 18 months. They haven't a clue how to turn things.

[PatrickHenry]

Quote by: brien If this is the same incident, I think I saw it as breaking news on Saturday morning during the Fox morning show. But the dates don't jibe. I saw the ammo depot burning "live" this past Saturday, 10. 21.06. This would have had it burning last Sat afternoon in Iraq. Maybe a different incident. Your link for the text doesnt come up for me. I didn't see anything iin the papers about it.

That link is in Russia, I think. Domain name, ru? Kinda slow but I got it twice.

Here's from the Sunday Herald:
Bombs, gun squads, burials ... one week in Iraq - [Sunday Herald]

[RickSp]

Wow. While the Bush administration is still prattling about "not leaving till the job is done", senior commanders in Baghdad are worried that the IZ, the old Green Zone, will come under direct assault. Talk about a Bush administration disconnect from reality.

From Patrick's Sunday Herald link above:

Last Tuesday night in Baghdad the Iraqi skyline was lit up. In what was believed to be one of the most sustained and ferocious mortar and rocket attacks in three years, there was widespread fear among senior US military personnel that the protected international zone (IZ), formerly the “green zone”, was about to experience a direct assault. Major gun battles were being fought in two of Baghdad’s districts – Doura and Mansoor. Doura has a large oil refinery, Mansoor is technically an affluent area close to the IZ. Gunfire and explosions were louder than normal and then, at around 7pm, the first large rocket landed inside the IZ itself. Another hit came after 10 minutes, then another two minutes later. Then a series of explosions, different to the daily “normal” rocket attacks were felt. For those in the IZ, the explosions were so close and so fierce that, even for experienced military personnel, “you could taste the cordite in your teeth”. The sustained attacks lasted for two hours, during which Camp Falcon, a major US ammunition and storage dump, was hit. The attack resulted in what one security official called “a fireworks display”. But the display wasn’t put on for entertainment. Immediate military feedback pointed to casualties. With the IZ in blackout mode, specific troop and tanks movements were ordered, said to be a precautionary defensive measure. But there was high-level concern that the fireworks would be followed by something the US military fears – a large-scale assault on the IZ itself. Helicopters were all over the place trying to figure out what was happening and where the attacks were coming from. Tuesday in Baghdad wasn’t a good night if you needed to sleep.

[brien]

Quote by: RickSp They used to say that "we expect real improvement over the next 6th months." They made that claim every six months or so. Now the timeline is 12 to 18 months. They haven't a clue how to turn things.

The sooner they fire Rumsfeld, the sooner they may get someone who will be able to lead them through the dark. The arrogance of the Bush Administration is stellar in its relentlessness and makes me to believe that it will eventually be the Congress that will be forced to wrest the control of this situation away from Bush.

Best scene scenario, probably at least a year for disengagement, and another to bring home all of the gear. Unless of course they leave it for spoils.

One of the bigger problems will be the logistics of the retreat. The troops will be very vulnerable while they are involved in disengagement. Therefore, they may be forced to abandon the hardware for the Iraqi people to use at their will. This may precipitate a supply line to those factions that the US may fund and support with weapons and money.

So it will be interesting to see which faction in Iraq the US back when they have disengaged the troops there. It will be fodder for the next wave of power in the US. ie, probably the Democrats.

[grandpa]

Quote by: brien The sooner they fire Rumsfeld, the sooner they may get someone who will be able to lead them through the dark. The arrogance of the Bush Administration is stellar in its relentlessness and makes me to believe that it will eventually be the Congress that will be forced to wrest the control of this situation away from Bush.

That won't be necessary. The Congress has been mostly in Bush's pocket. Look at the Military Commissions Act. Congress simply went for it. It's not just the Bush Administration, but the two-party monopoly.
There is little reason to believe these people have true principles, let alone decent ones.

Any change for the better will have to be real and not abstract. We can't rely on these entities which keep us in the dark to enlighten us.
They will continue to produce much the same thing, so we need a new approach to get rid of the tired old situations.

Grandpa h.