US Begins Major Operation in Fallujah
DefenseLINK News: Iraqi, U.S. Troops Begin 'Al Fajr' Operation in Fallujah
The US plans to conduct the invasion mostly at night, because US troops have night vision goggles while terrorists don't. Additionally, snipers and robots are expected to see extensive use in the operation. American snipers have undergone training for urban warfare recently (though snipers often do poorly in dense urban situations. This, however, depends entirely on the layout of the city). Night battles help limit civilian casualties, add a lot of attrition (losses or difficulties not due to direct combat, such as lack of sleep for several days), and will likely allow our troops to take the best possible positions in relative safety.
This will probably be the most watched battle in history, and the military intends for it to be. They allow for extensive media coverage to emphasize the danger to civilians in the area and encourage them to leave, and to alert them of particularly dangerous periods.
American machinery includes a sturdy robot called Dragon Runner, which can be guided around corners to check for enemies. This machine can be dropped out of a hum-vee going 25 mph or thrown from a 2nd story window. Additionally, marines have a 5-pound flying machine named Dragon Eye, which can travel 35mph scouting for enemies (with low-light and infrared cameras). This toy can operate for nearly an hour before needing a recharge. These are laptop controlled, and there are 35 sets of the toy in use in Iraq. Each set comes with three of the aircraft.
Coalition troops have captured a/the main hospital in the city for publicity and practical reasons. In the first invasion of Fallujah, insurgents threatened doctors so casualty reports would be inflated. This caused a public backlash in the US, resulting in the troops to be pulled out of the city. I believe CNN claimed the hospital would be used to treat any wounded, but that claim is BS. Certainly the hospital may be used to treat any wounded, but the US has probably set up a medical facility outside the city. We've had troops surrounding the city for months, so there would have been plenty of time. It is estimated that 50,000 to 60,000 of Fallujah's population of 300,000 civilians are still in the city.
There are reports that tunnels have been dug between mosques so terrorists can ferry supplies when needed. Mosques are accorded protected status under international law due to cultural significance, but that status is dropped once they are used for military purposes. If tunnels are being dug between mosques, they can be blocked easily once US troops find them. A bunker-busting weapon could collapse a tunnel, and a claymore mine might ensure that anyone going through the tunnel is eradicated.
The claims that America will be bogged down in urban warfare are myths. American troops have proven quite creative when engaging in urban warfare, and tactics have been adjusted based on earlier, similar battles.
from here
A large, quite detailed map of Fallujah can be found here, and a smaller version is here.
The US plans to conduct the invasion mostly at night, because US troops have night vision goggles while terrorists don't. Additionally, snipers and robots are expected to see extensive use in the operation. American snipers have undergone training for urban warfare recently (though snipers often do poorly in dense urban situations. This, however, depends entirely on the layout of the city). Night battles help limit civilian casualties, add a lot of attrition (losses or difficulties not due to direct combat, such as lack of sleep for several days), and will likely allow our troops to take the best possible positions in relative safety.
This will probably be the most watched battle in history, and the military intends for it to be. They allow for extensive media coverage to emphasize the danger to civilians in the area and encourage them to leave, and to alert them of particularly dangerous periods.
American machinery includes a sturdy robot called Dragon Runner, which can be guided around corners to check for enemies. This machine can be dropped out of a hum-vee going 25 mph or thrown from a 2nd story window. Additionally, marines have a 5-pound flying machine named Dragon Eye, which can travel 35mph scouting for enemies (with low-light and infrared cameras). This toy can operate for nearly an hour before needing a recharge. These are laptop controlled, and there are 35 sets of the toy in use in Iraq. Each set comes with three of the aircraft.
Coalition troops have captured a/the main hospital in the city for publicity and practical reasons. In the first invasion of Fallujah, insurgents threatened doctors so casualty reports would be inflated. This caused a public backlash in the US, resulting in the troops to be pulled out of the city. I believe CNN claimed the hospital would be used to treat any wounded, but that claim is BS. Certainly the hospital may be used to treat any wounded, but the US has probably set up a medical facility outside the city. We've had troops surrounding the city for months, so there would have been plenty of time. It is estimated that 50,000 to 60,000 of Fallujah's population of 300,000 civilians are still in the city.
There are reports that tunnels have been dug between mosques so terrorists can ferry supplies when needed. Mosques are accorded protected status under international law due to cultural significance, but that status is dropped once they are used for military purposes. If tunnels are being dug between mosques, they can be blocked easily once US troops find them. A bunker-busting weapon could collapse a tunnel, and a claymore mine might ensure that anyone going through the tunnel is eradicated.
The claims that America will be bogged down in urban warfare are myths. American troops have proven quite creative when engaging in urban warfare, and tactics have been adjusted based on earlier, similar battles.
In the event of an assault, said Pike, U.S. forces would be likely to divide Fallujah into sectors and station two- to four-man sniper teams in each sector -- positioned for a wide field of vision -- as Marine patrols move through the city, checking building after building for insurgents, flushing them out into the snipers' field of fire. A similar tactic was used with considerable success last April before the earlier assault on Fallujah was called off, Pike said.
from here
A large, quite detailed map of Fallujah can be found here, and a smaller version is here.
posted by Chris at
10:52 PM
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