ChrisG

No problem. I am currently in the minutia of the Apr ISF OOB update for LWJ, so all the data is right at my fingertips.

Like or Dislike: 0  0

Thanks Dj,

It is difficult to keep up with units now that I am not right there.

Like or Dislike: 0  0

Note: Elements of the 36th Mech Bde of the IA 9th Div have been in Basrah since November.

Also, six Anbaris were KIA in Basrah and their bodies returned to Ramadi last week.
Considering the IA initial stationing policy, the fact that most Anbaris did not join the IA until last year, and the re-destignation of the 1st IA Div as Strategic Reserve QRF Div: Probably have elements of 1st Div in Basrah.

The BMP did not belong to 14th Div. They were never issued any. That is probably 36th Mech Bde. Although 35th Armor Bde is mostly unlocated ATT. The only IA Bn left in Taji belongs to 1st Div, they are using 2-1 INP Bde to cover most of 9th Mech Div’s home areas…

Like or Dislike: 0  0

Igor, wouldn’t that be Iraqi military 1 rats 0? The U.S. military can’t win battles it’s not involved or not much involved in.

Maybe the BMP destroyed itself. I read where one of the first BMPs designs were captured in some conflict and brought to the U.S. The military couldn’t check out its performance because the safety inspector claimed the transmission could catch fire and burn up the crew.

It could have also been an enemy BMP that was destroyed.

Cleaning house of JAM spies was probably one of the main reasons for the Basra. That’s where Sadr really got hit. Those that were fired, were already JAM members, so claiming they were going over to JAM would be redundant.

The Iraqis would probably go through several tests to clean ranks. Maliki would probably score political points for that. Maliki could also score points for stepping down after this term showing he actually cares about the voting process rather than a power grab.

Like or Dislike: 0  0

BMPs are not tanks, but the media is not known for accuracy or knowledge….

BMPs really do explode very easily and would not pass US safety tests for combat vehicles. They are cramped, under-armored (M2/M3A3s beat them hands down), improperly vented, and poorly designed (the doors in the back of the BMP-1 are fuel pods…. You exit through the top or the rear fuel tanks… think about that). The BMP-1 is the oldest and worst of the series. That said, it still works against unarmored troops.

On the plus side, it has a VERY low profile and can supposedly float like our AAAV7s and LAVs but ONLY in calm water (when the moon is aligned with Venus, etc).

I will also back up that the 14th is one of Iraq’s newest divisions. I do not know why the 9th Mech was not sent in, though it may be deployed along the border or otherwise unavailable.

I am not surprised the media reports the same vehicle as a new kill using different angles. As I have said before, they did this many times reporting IEDs and other attacks. One was the Crude oil fired power plant and neighboring refinery south of the IZ which CNN knew was a power plant/refinery and still reported it as a “massive attack” on the IZ in April 2007.

Like or Dislike: 0  0

One things for sure:
The surge certainly hasn’t worked at all. Probably made things worse, rather than better.
The web address for apologies is :www.moveon.org

Like or Dislike: 0  0

It is a BMP1 and it normally has a 73mm gun in a small turret.

Good point, there are other photos available (though it’s apparently been moved), and concur it’s a BMP-1 (and the turret, such as it is–does appear to be missing from that angle–note apparent hole in hull).

Still, even a casual glance at the first crappy photo was enough to tell it was an APC of some sort. And a small winge, it’s probably okay to call a BMP-3 a hybrid–and a PT-76 is classified as a “light tank” (though a Bradley outweighs either), but don’t think I can buy that in reference to a BMP-1. (Among other things, because the 73mm gun shoots the same round as an RPG-7.) But thanks for the pointer.

Like or Dislike: 0  0

Thanks Doug…. all I can say is: “space… the final frontier”!

Like or Dislike: 0  0

On Sunday CIA Director Hayden said that 70% of Basra was under the control of militias and gangs http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/13824a98-ff86-11dc-b556-000077b07658.html?nclick_check=1

Like or Dislike: 0  0

Mike was wondering about the Iranian source, not the Iraqi source.

Both sources above can be supported by multiple western media sources.

Like or Dislike: 0  0