Our goal is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from the War on Terror that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused. If you find something here you want to blog about yourself (and we hope you do), all we ask is that you do as we do and offer a Hat Tip hyperlink to today's "Winds of War". Welcome!
TO IRAQ...
On the Battlefield
What to do about Baghdad now that the skyline is in sight? (Hat Tip: The Agonist) Think fast, because the FOX embedded reporter is standing on the tarmac at Baghdad's Saddam International Airport.
Given reports of Iraqi preparations to use chemical weapons, see "Devils in the Details" at Techcentralstation.com. It's my analysis of Saddam's chemical and biological options on the battlefield, and an honest look at both allied weaknesses and potential responses.
3ID's 2-69 [3rd Infantry Division's 2nd Battalion, 69th Armored Regiment] has been leading the charge from Day 1 of the allied invasion, fighting the whole way and performing splendidly. Their embed writes: "...the men of 2-69 come off as a cross between "The Dirty Dozen" and "Cool Hand Luke" on steroids." Phil Carter explains how 2-69 got so good - and why the Army's policies work against creating more units like this.
The Euphrates crossings near Baghdad yesterday were easier than I thought they'd be.
Rand Simberg on "mini-sieges" like the one we're seeing around Baghdad, Basra, Karbala, etc.
Special forces blow up Iraqi oil pipeline to Syria, which provides an important source of currency to the Syrian regime. Now that we have your full attention, guys, please stop sending weapons and terrorists in, and start sending high-ranking Iraqis out. Important message, well delivered. (Hat Tip: The Agonist)
More special forces: British SAS team rescued near Mosul. Looks like they've learned from Bravo Two Zero's 1991 experience. (Hat Tip: The Agonist)
Saddam playing the long game? "Phase I assumes eventual defeat in a conventional war...The second phase would be a protracted guerrilla war against the "occupation," which the American-British coalition bills as liberation... Phase III would then be to amass enough semi-conventional power to overwhelm the U.N. and interim government mechanisms" (Hat Tip: Command Post)
That may indeed be his strategy. Too bad it will fail miserably. Here's why Saddam's "long game" is likely to be very short. Once this sort of thing is gone, it's over.
Arthur Silber's "When Ideologies Bleed" explains part of the reason why. It certainly applies to Ba'athism.
A great map of Basra, incl. British positions. (Hat Tip: Acepilots.com) Goes well with the following situation update.
"War in the Houses of Ali" looks at the battle from a different perspective, giving some background on Ali and the sites in Karbala and Najaf venerated by Shia Muslims everywhere. From Saddam's strategy to history to battlefield reports.
An interactive satellite map of Nasariyah. Very cool.
As you view it, here's what "Ambush Alley" means in practice. (Hat Tip: Command Post)
Still in Nasariyah, with an even rougher story. The website you're headed to is run by wackos, but the article is from The Times. This, too, is the reality of war.
Trent had more details and some thoughts on the PFC Jessica Lynch POW rescue yesterday. If this is true, it may dispel some of the darker thoughts about PFC Lynch's recent fate. I think we have to retire the insult "fights like a girl." UPDATE: And this takes us to darker places again. Sigh.
On a less happy note, Tim of Political Lomcevak has the Al-Jazeera tape that was shot of the dead POW's and the prisoners, as well as the battle scene. I don't know if it's the full tape or just the Al-Jazeera clip, because it requires certain software to see (Tim has links). Could someone give a look and tell me?
Big shout-out to our allies the Czechs, whose Iraq troop contribution is a chemical defense specialist group. Poland, Slovakia, and the Ukraine also sent these - see the pattern? The Soviets expected to use these weapons in Europe (and did use them elsewhere), so Warsaw Pact countries are well trained.
Beyond the Battlefield
British companies and others being shut out of reconstruction? If true, it's beyond stupid and USAID needs to have its butt soundly kicked.
Life, Liberty... And the Pursuit of All Who Threaten It.
Everything you need to know about the 4th Infantry division, now arriving in Kuwait, and how it's getting there.
Um Qasr still not open to commercial shipping, though it is open to military shipping. Mines still an issue. Big salute to the Aussie dive teams there.
The Winds of Change.NET consolidated directory of ways you can support the troops. Now international, with some links for Brits and Australians! Anyone out there with more information, incl. the Poles and Czechs? [updated April 1, 2003]
Na na na na, na na na na, Geraldo - goodbye!
Senators kick State Dept. butts, get Iraqi Opposition's "Liberty TV" back on air.
The Iraqi caretaker government remains a source of controversy.
AND BEYOND...
Airport scanners that show your Full Monty. Just another innovation from the Dept. of Honmeland security, currently in service at several U.S. airports.
Powell secures agreement from Turkey: fuel and humanitarian aid can be transported through their country to northern Iraq.
The remarkable phenomenon of blogs in Iran, from the guy who may have done more to spark it than anyone.
"Toxic Terror Tick-Tock" looks at the issue of terrorists with biochemical weapons: the past, our present, and possible futures.
I try to close on a more humourous note if possible. Saddam's Blog continues to be extremely funny!
Am I the only one that thinks there is an entire Republican Guard division that's gone missing?
The POW footage link you spoke of is of the short version of the tape that was first aired on Al-Jazeera. It is very horrific, difficult to watch, and hard to forget. I would advise anyone with a weak stomach for such horror not to watch it.
Lisa,
That is true. I had hoped to warn people before they downloaded it.
I have felt that people should see the horror in order to understand what it is that we are fighting.
For current resources on the SAS Regiments, including the Australian SAS Regiment, see http://www.survivalistskills.com/sas.htm.
There is also a substantial archive of fascinating and invaluable 'New World Order Intelligence Update' articles on the New World Order at http://www.survivalistskills.com/sect22.htm and archived also at http://www.rarehistorybooks.com/NWOLINKS.HTM. The 'NWOIU' site itself is currently being substantially re-constructed, but these archived articles are well worth reading.