U.S. Infantry 6 Miles from S. Baghdad - Repub. Guard Moves to Block

Post-9/11 Era Forum

Advance armored units of the U.S. 3rd Infantry Division were just six miles from the southern edge of Baghdad on Thursday, U.S. military sources in the area told Reuters correspondent Luke Baker.

In the center of the Iraqi capital, Reuters correspondent Samia Nakhoul said she heard an intense and sustained anti-aircraft barrage coming from the southern outskirts where U.S.-led forces have been bombarding the city's defenders.

Units of Iraq's elite Republican Guard headed south from Baghdad on Thursday to try to cut off a U.S. advance and to reinforce positions around the capital's airport, U.S. military sources said.

U.S. spy planes spotted the Iraqi reinforcements moving southwards from the capital during the night, the sources told Reuters correspondent Luke Baker.

"They believe that the Iraqis are trying to reinforce positions around the airport and to block off any U.S. advance toward the capital," he said. It was unclear how many Iraqi troops were on the move.

Baker said that 12 U.S. rockets lit up the night sky shortly before dawn, streaking toward the Republican Guard positions.

The Iraqis were believed to be from the Hammurabi Mechanised Division. The Republican Guard consists of six divisions, each of which has about 10,000 men.

Keeping control of the airport is probably a key objective for the Iraqis, who also want to prevent more U.S. troops from crossing bridges across the Euphrates river that control the approaches to Baghdad, the sources said.

Baker said that U.S. forces, who have approached to within about 19 miles from the southern edge of the city, were firing rockets north at the Iraqi positions before dawn.

Some of the U.S. troops have secured positions on the eastern side of the Euphrates.

U.S. forces smashed two of President Saddam Hussein's elite Republican Guard divisions blocking their way to the capital on Wednesday in a push to Baghdad.

Backed by fearsome air power, U.S. armored forces moved on the Iraqi capital from two directions. U.S. forces also seized a dam over the Euphrates River northwest of Baghdad.

Maj. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, vice director for operations for the U.S. military's Joint Staff, said two Republican Guard divisions that had been guarding the approaches to Baghdad had effectively ceased to exist as credible military forces after days of pulverizing air strikes preceding the ground attack.

Source: Reuters

Will they never learn?

For the first time, the other day, I felt sorry for the Iraqi forces. Fox news (my parents watch fox alot, I am a ABC BBC fan) was showing footage of 3 B-52 bombers taking off from England. I thought to myself, those poor bastards have no idea how devistating those planes are and what is about to come down on them.

"B-52 Stratofortress


Mission
Air Combat Command's B-52 is a long-range, heavy bomber that can perform a variety of missions. The bomber is capable of flying at high subsonic speeds at altitudes up to 50,000 feet (15,166.6 meters). It can carry nuclear or precision guided conventional ordnance with worldwide precision navigation capability.

Features
In a conventional conflict, the B-52 can perform strategic attack, air interdiction, offensive counter-air and maritime operations. During Desert Storm, B-52s delivered 40 percent of all the weapons dropped by coalition forces. It is highly effective when used for ocean surveillance, and can assist the U.S. Navy in anti-ship and mine-laying operations. Two B-52s, in two hours, can monitor 140,000 square miles (364,000 square kilometers) of ocean surface.

All B-52s are equipped with an electro-optical viewing system that uses platinum silicide forward-looking infrared and high resolution low-light-level television sensors to augment targeting, battle assessment, and flight safety, thus further improving its combat ability and low-level flight capability.

Pilots wear night vision goggles (NVGs) to enhance their vision during night operations. Night vision goggles provide greater safety during night operations by increasing the pilot's ability to visually clear terrain, avoid enemy radar and see other aircraft in a covert/lights-out environment.

Starting in 1989, on-going modifications incorporates the global positioning system, heavy stores adapter beams for carrying 2,000 pound munitions, and a full array of advance weapons currently under development.

The use of aerial refueling gives the B-52 a range limited only by crew endurance. It has an unrefueled combat range in excess of 8,800 miles (14,080 kilometers).

The aircraft's flexibility was evident in Operation Desert Storm and again during Operations Allied Force. B-52s struck wide-area troop concentrations, fixed installations and bunkers, and decimated the morale of Iraq's Republican Guard. The Gulf War involved the longest strike mission in the history of aerial warfare when B-52s took off from Barksdale Air Force Base, La., launched conventional air launched cruise missiles and returned to Barksdale -- a 35-hour, non-stop combat mission. During Operation Allied Force, B-52s opened the conflict with conventional cruise missile attacks and then transitioned to delivering general purpose bombs and cluster bomb units on Serbian army positions and staging areas.

Background
For more than 40 years B-52 Stratofortresses have been the backbone of the manned strategic bomber force for the United States. The B-52 is capable of dropping or launching the widest array of weapons in the U.S. inventory. This includes gravity bombs, cluster bombs, precision guided missiles and joint direct attack munitions. Updated with modern technology the B-52 will be capable of delivering the full complement of joint developed weapons and will continue into the 21st century as an important element of our nation's defenses. Current engineering analyses show the B-52's life span to extend beyond the year 2045.

The B-52A first flew in 1954, and the B model entered service in 1955. A total of 744 B-52s were built with the last, a B-52H, delivered in October 1962. Only the H model is still in the Air Force inventory and is assigned to Air Combat Command and the Air Force Reserves.

The first of 102 B-52H's was delivered to Strategic Air Command in May 1961. The H model can carry up to 20 air launched cruise missiles. In addition, it can carry the conventional cruise missile that was launched in several contingencies during the 1990s, starting with Operation Desert Storm and culminating with Operation Allied Force.

General Characteristics
Primary Function: Heavy bomber
Contractor: Boeing Military Airplane Co.
Power plant: Eight Pratt & Whitney engines TF33-P-3/103 turbofan
Thrust: Each engine up to 17,000 pounds
Length: 159 feet, 4 inches (48.5 meters)
Height: 40 feet, 8 inches (12.4 meters)
Wingspan: 185 feet (56.4 meters)
Speed: 650 miles per hour (Mach 0.86)
Ceiling: 50,000 feet (15,151.5 meters)
Weight: Approximately 185,000 pounds empty (83,250 kilograms)
Maximum Takeoff Weight: 488,000 pounds (219,600 kilograms)
Range: Unrefueled 8,800 miles (7,652 nautical miles)
Armament: Approximately 70,000 pounds (31,500 kilograms) mixed ordnance -- bombs, mines and missiles. (Modified to carry air-launched cruise missiles, Harpoon anti-ship and Have Nap missiles.)
Crew: Five (aircraft commander, pilot, radar navigator, navigator and electronic warfare officer)
Accommodations: Six ejection seats
Unit Cost: $53.4 million (fiscal 98 constant dollars)
Date Deployed: February 1955
Inventory: Active force, 85; ANG, 0; Reserve, 9"


MOMMY!

Here is a simple choice, who would you rather have nuclear weapons Beber, the US, or Iraq (lead by Sadam)?

Please no BS responses, a serious response.

Saddam would get them and build them if left alone. Wouldn't that be a traversty in the making for mankind. The Middle East and World would be at ransom. No wonder Israel attacked the facilities in the 80's. You just can't trust and ignore these regimes.

Fred Hooper