I was watching the honorable gentleman from S. Carolina (is he gay?) and he made a comment that stuck me like a 2x4.
He said we need to be getting our people out of Iraq now!
But why aren't we? You can't keep something like that quiet and there are at least 3000 people in that embassy so why the delay with rebels rapidly approaching?
My guess? American lives are worth less than the cost in presidential prestige that would take a serious nose dive if we were seen doing the Saigon thing in Iraq.
UPDATE: So if they did decide to evacuate how would it happen? I'm guessing they have this weekend to get it done before events spiral out of control. The USMC would love a bite at this apple but it doesn't have the forces in the region to get it done. Even if we did it would be a challenge for Marine Air to evacuate this many people.
That means we're looking at the US Army and Air Force.
The biggest problem is going to be keeping SOCOM's grubby hands off things. Their commander (McRaven) is an ego maniac. If his boys ain't doing it then it ain't worth doing it. The problem for them is that they don't have the number of personnel needed to fight off these terrorists....unless they suddenly pulled a Ranger Battalion and combined it with MARSOC.
So I'm guessing that the 82nd will probably get the call. The Division Ready Brigade should have already been put on alert for possible deployment so the call up time should be less than the standard 72 hours. The USAF would probably need to get together a C-17 Squadron and be prepared for a couple of ferry flights to Turkey from Iraq. Getting personnel safely from the Embassy to the airport will be the biggest problem. If they're driving to the airport then thats going to be where they will get hit. Even breaking down a few CH-47's, and flying them into country and using them to ferry people from the embassy to the airport will be an issue.
I wonder how many MANPADS the terrorists captured?
This is a mess. They waited too long. A clean exit is not possible anymore.
NOTE: For all those that are saying that the terrorists can't take Baghdad, let me ask you one question. Have you ever heard of operational momentum? Have you ever wondered why the assault into Kuwait in Gulf War One, how the Iraqi Army folded so fast in Gulf War Two, and how the Special Forces on horseback were able to rollup forces seemingly at will? The established operational momentum. That's what the terrorists have going for them now. They're already inside the decision making loop of all that are involved and if they're smart they're going to press this attack. Baghdad can fall. If the terrorist show the same fortitude that they have so far then its almost a certainty!
He said we need to be getting our people out of Iraq now!
But why aren't we? You can't keep something like that quiet and there are at least 3000 people in that embassy so why the delay with rebels rapidly approaching?
My guess? American lives are worth less than the cost in presidential prestige that would take a serious nose dive if we were seen doing the Saigon thing in Iraq.
UPDATE: So if they did decide to evacuate how would it happen? I'm guessing they have this weekend to get it done before events spiral out of control. The USMC would love a bite at this apple but it doesn't have the forces in the region to get it done. Even if we did it would be a challenge for Marine Air to evacuate this many people.
That means we're looking at the US Army and Air Force.
The biggest problem is going to be keeping SOCOM's grubby hands off things. Their commander (McRaven) is an ego maniac. If his boys ain't doing it then it ain't worth doing it. The problem for them is that they don't have the number of personnel needed to fight off these terrorists....unless they suddenly pulled a Ranger Battalion and combined it with MARSOC.
So I'm guessing that the 82nd will probably get the call. The Division Ready Brigade should have already been put on alert for possible deployment so the call up time should be less than the standard 72 hours. The USAF would probably need to get together a C-17 Squadron and be prepared for a couple of ferry flights to Turkey from Iraq. Getting personnel safely from the Embassy to the airport will be the biggest problem. If they're driving to the airport then thats going to be where they will get hit. Even breaking down a few CH-47's, and flying them into country and using them to ferry people from the embassy to the airport will be an issue.
I wonder how many MANPADS the terrorists captured?
This is a mess. They waited too long. A clean exit is not possible anymore.
NOTE: For all those that are saying that the terrorists can't take Baghdad, let me ask you one question. Have you ever heard of operational momentum? Have you ever wondered why the assault into Kuwait in Gulf War One, how the Iraqi Army folded so fast in Gulf War Two, and how the Special Forces on horseback were able to rollup forces seemingly at will? The established operational momentum. That's what the terrorists have going for them now. They're already inside the decision making loop of all that are involved and if they're smart they're going to press this attack. Baghdad can fall. If the terrorist show the same fortitude that they have so far then its almost a certainty!
