Oerdin's Iraq thread.

[DaShi]

Originally posted by Oerdin


Most of the soldiers drive really, really poorly over here. They don't want to stop in traffic because then you are a sitting duck for an ambush so instead they'll drive on the sidewalk, the median, the other side of the street, any where so they won't have to stand still.

I remember a one hour trip from Tikrit to Balad I made with a few of the guys from the 362 Psyop Company right before they left to return to the US. I saw one of their vehicles get into four accidents in a one hour period. That's an average of one accident every 15 minutes.

They even welded on steel ramming plates just so they could do more damage to the other vehicles. Still, most of the Iraqi civilians now get out of the way when they see a military convoy. Before they'd just sit there or maybe even try to cut you off so I guess something good has come of it.

The US should hire some Hangzhou taxi drivers.

[pchang]

If you get a chance

you should try to visit with some of the Kroll employees there. For a small fee I'm sure they can hook you up with a sawed off shotgun and plenty of ammo, as well as a real Beretta 9mm. I think these would make far better backup weapons for you.

[oerdin's sis]

Originally posted by Oerdin


The Monza simply didn't have enough motor oil in it. As I recall you did that as well to a certain '74 VW.

Yes, but aren't you at least 1 out of oil incedent up on me??? What exactly happened to YOUR VW???

[Dinner]

The VW had a cracked cylinder sleave due to the engine being over reved.

[Gatekeeper]

Be safe, Oerdin ...

Gatekeeper

[Theben]

Originally posted by oerdin's sis


Yes, but aren't you at least 1 out of oil incedent up on me??? What exactly happened to YOUR VW???

Oh, good, I thought only che & I were dumb enough to kill an engine w/o motor oil. I feel better now (17 years later).

[Dinner]

I wrote a letter to my father today explaining what's been going on for the last 24 hours and rather then retype everything I'm just going to post the message here.

Dad,
Yeah we've had a busy 24 hours with Shi'as following the Imam Badr causing all sorts of rukus. Yesterday we had a 1000 man demonstration (which marched from the shi'a mosque to our compound) here in kirkuk by these fellows but things ended peacefully. Badr has his own little private militia which has been outlawed and one of his lietenents was arrested by the Spanish in Najaf for continuing to operate the militia and that has got Badr's followers into a tizzy.

In the run up to the demonstration we had to detain 30 guys in a bus who were chanting "Down with the enemy and death to those who work for the Americans" but other then a few knives they weren't armed so we let them go later that night. The Major coordinated well with the local police and the ICDC so we had lots of men to contain the demnstration just incase it turned violent. We also had a platoon of 1-21 infantry on hand though I'm proud to say my team and I had a critical role in making sure the demonstration didn't turn violent. We used our loudspeakers to broadcast a message saying they had a right to peacefully protest but that if they turned violent or attempted to cross the police line then they would force us to open fire on them. We then asked their leaders to come forward and deliver their list of requests. Which they did and then the crowd dispursed.

Predicably they demanded this militia leader be released by the Spanish which won't happen any time soon but it seems like we can work with them on a few of the other demands they had like cleaning the streets and pumping the sewage out of one of the local Shi'a neighborhoods.

During the demonstration a car bomb went off about 3/4 of a mile away from my compound and three GI's were injured (one lost a leg). I believe the car bomber was a Sunni and he intended to drive into the crowd of Shi'as but he was stopped at an American checkpoint. Rather then be caught he blew himself up next to the humvee. Still, compared to the fire fights which happened in other cities or the mass killing that could have happened if the car bomb exploded in the crowd I think things didn't turn out so bad.

If you bought a handgun in the states there is no way you'd be able to get it here. The Army x-rays all of the mail plus it is technically illegal to possess unauthorized firearms. Everyone just goes ahead and uses captured weapons any way but it probably isn't a good idea to mail a pistol from home. I'll try to call home later tonight; talk to you later,

JJ

>
>I see in the news that the big demonstration in Bagdad resulted in 7
>G. I.s killed and 24 wounded taking back buildings and government
>offices that Iman Sadar's malitia siezed.
>
>Guess you all ready know about that.
>
>Just becarefull as you can when these clowns get back to Kirkuk and
>get a fresh load of sermons about how bad the Americans are.
>
>Are you still manning the machine gun in your Humvee?
>
>That AK-47 sounds like a real pice of ****. Perhaps more danger to
>you than anyone else. Why not just carry two or 3 more clips for
>the M-16? At least it woks!
>
>Thought you were issued a side arm? Guess I was wrong.
>
>Can I ship you a Barretta via the mail?? Guess I should ask the
>post office and I kind of think I know the answer.
>
>Dad
>

[oerdin's sis]

Originally posted by Theben


Oh, good, I thought only che & I were dumb enough to kill an engine w/o motor oil. I feel better now (17 years later).

No, even 15 years later, I still feel dumb!! And, I feel like I must say... I DID CHECK THE OIL!!

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by oerdin's sis


No, even 15 years later, I still feel dumb!! And, I feel like I must say... I DID CHECK THE OIL!!

So did I. I had even recently filled it, which is why I ignored my oil light. I thought the light was bad, but actually my oil pan was leaking.

[DanS]

Hope all is going OK for you Oerdin. Sounds like things have been a little hairy the last couple of days in some parts of Iraq.

[Dinner]

Yesterday they had us standing by for a supposed pro-sadr demonstration the Shi'a were planning but the demonstration never happened. We still sat out there in our full battle rattle for five hours though. Today we completed another media assestment and while driving through town we noticed several pictures of Sadr posted on walls in a Shi'a neighborhood along with pro-Sadr graffiti. We took down the pictures of Sadr, photographed the graffiti and are planning to send a work crew to paint over the graffiti tomorrow.

About an hour ago a Katusha rocket impacted 80 meters to the west of the Civil Military Operations Center (CMOC) where I live though there were no injuries. Normally they fire their Katusha's at the Air Force base near our compound and not actually at us. I suspect that Shi'as who took part in the march to the CMOC two days ago remember how we put a damper on their party and are still a bit cheesed off at us.

It seems that currently there are three groups we're fighting against in Iraq. One is the ba'athists (which we call F.R.E.s or Former Regime Extremists), the second is the Mahdi Army (Sadr's own banned militia), and the third (and smallest) are Islamic extremests from other arab countries which come to Iraq in order to commit terrorist acts. The Iraqi police and the ICDC are getting quite good at spotting and capturing the foreigners but the other two remain a big problem. Many of the police are either unwilling to take action against the Ba'athists and Sadr's group or are even helping them. Just witness how uniformed Iraqi Police have taken part in the violent protests in Fallujah and Sadr City.

I've been trying to come up with ideas for the best possible solution to our Sadr problem (not that I have any control over the matter) and I'm certain the worst thing we can do is go into Sadr's compound with guns blazing. Sadr wants to be a martyr for the cause like his father and his brothers and this would only give that to him. The best thing we can do is empower his shi'a rivals to undermine him so that it is Shi'as solving a Shi'a problem instead of the Infedels knocking off people they don't like.

[Barinthus]

Originally posted by Oerdin
The best thing we can do is empower his shi'a rivals to undermine him so that it is Shi'as solving a Shi'a problem instead of the Infedels knocking off people they don't like.

Yes that'd be the best way to do it - make them part of the solution. Hopefully you guys can figure out how to do this.

[Chemical Ollie]

Why are civilians allowed to own AK-47s? There is no legal way a civilian could use an assault rifle, so why let him keep it?

[Kuciwalker]

Because Iraq isn't quite as nice and orderly as the US?

[Bloody Monk]

Originally posted by Chemical Ollie
Why are civilians allowed to own AK-47s? There is no legal way a civilian could use an assault rifle, so why let him keep it?

Because Pres Bush and his cohort lacked the will a year ago, just like his dad, they failed to finish the job. When they still had the M1A2's, they could have disarmed the rascals and/or made them respect the US forces. Now, it's too late and they can sense the US is about to leave.

Oerdin:

I hope you guys don't get the shaft like what happened in Nam. Yes, this time it's different; but, the diplos, lawyers, and careerists brass are playing not to lose instead of to win. Keep your head down.

Monk