Iraq Soliders - Article on CNN

[Guest]

Another post from CNN on the war....

If you guys get tired of me posting this stuff let me know.

Patricia


U.S. official: Iraqi troops not eager to fight
Tuesday, March 18, 2003 Posted: 1:28 PM EST (1828 GMT)



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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Intercepts of Iraqi military radio traffic indicate that some Iraqi troops do not feel driven to defend their country's regime. A well-placed U.S. official said Tuesday that those transmissions suggest a number of Iraqi military units "are not going to hold it together" during a U.S. military attack.

The radio communications suggest a great deal of "consternation" within some of the units -- including Republican Guard units, the official said on the condition of anonymity. Those units are considered to be the best trained, best equipped and most loyal to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

He cautioned that the intelligence does not mean Iraqi troops will not fight for Baghdad, the capital.

"I don't want to make it sound like it's going to be easy," the official said.

The belief is that the 48-hour deadline U.S. President George W. Bush gave to Hussein to leave Iraq or face military action created a good deal of pressure and elevated anxiety levels, the official said.

He also confirmed an earlier report that at least one Iraqi oil well in a southern oil field west of Basra was broken, gushing oil onto the ground. Iraqi soldiers are "definitely preparing (more wells) for sabotage" in the same area, he said.

The troops are removing safety valves used for automatic shutdown during accidents, he said.

[cycloneye]

Yes Ticka it will be a massive surrender of the iraqi forces those that are not the elite republican guard units but what the US has to watch are those elite republican guards most loyal to Saddam which will fight until death that are about 15,000.

[Guest]

I agree ceye - that will be the battle of this war. Already seeing reports on one oil well being sabotaged on one of the news pages. Gushing oil all over the ground - that will the other battle USA fights too.

Patricia

[JQ Public]

Yep, from what i heard some soldiers are already fleeing their posts. Sad situation. Glad they know this is a lost cause for Saddam, and maybe this will make it easier on us?!