For entertainment purposes only http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2003/04/14/baghdaddeal/index.html One of those clues is that the US POWs wore pajamas. Yes, the fact that the Iraqis could have but didn't turn this into an urban war begs for an explanation. But this ain't it. Anyway, a fun read, because, like most conspiracy theories, you can't really disprove it. But it's still nuts.
"All Iraqis, even the highest levels of Republican Guard leadership, hated Saddam's guts, and the only ones who had any incentive to fight were Islamofascist extremists and people who knew they would be locked up and the key thrown away for crimes against humanity after the war" is a much more plausible explanation IMO.
Not that Salon had any credibility before... BUT.. this really takes the cake.I like how they use the blanket statement "arabic media" came up with the theory to cover their ass.Baghdad fell becuase Iraqis knew the fight was over, this theory has about as much stock as Israel planned the attacks on the WTC.And its nearly as disgusting.US soldiers are still in the line of fire, they are still getting shot and killed.This war isnt over.were just not fighting a cohesive military, doesnt mean there has been a surrender or deal made.
1. Salon has TONS of credibility. They research their stories. 2. If you look carefully, this article is from the Pacific News Service, and Salon is only re-printing it. And even the PNS guy is just saying what he's seeing in the Arab media. Man, talk about blaming the messenger!!! The article does raise an interesting question that the media isn't really dealing with (they're too busy freaking out about the looting (which of course they won't apologize today for overreacting to) and the Next War). Namely, where did the Baath party officials and the most loyal soldiers go. Ok, they didn't fight, but did they just disappear?
> They took their uniforms off, put on civvies and went home. If this is what happened, there there would be more than 200,000 men with army boots moving around the countryside trying to get home. No one has reported anything like that.
I started a post on this very same subject last week...where the hell did they all go? Either a) the numbers of Iraqi Bath and Republican Guard members were grossly inflated by the U.S. or b) These guys all melted back into the population or c) They ran like hell for the border, in a very coordinated way. The article does bring up the issue of coordination which is an interesting one. The entire damn military and Bath party dissapeared over night. If that isn't chain of command I do not know what is.
Well, no. http://msnbc.com/news/899383.asp?0sl=-41 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2941727.stm
There's a thread on here somewhere I started relating to what CUS wrote. That article was from an interview with an RG colonel talking about how his troops deserted bit by bit as we bombed them.
or d) They are all dead. I've not seen much coverage of Iraqi military causalties, but I have seen estimates (don't recall where, so I no clue how credible they were) that they could be around 100,000.
Coordinated flee One word: Tunnels Where those tunnels lead, still to be determined. Anyway, it sure was nice to Gen. Franks comment as a single person, not in any official govt position that any nation can control their borders. This was a jab at Syria while it shows he is a supporter of the Marines on the US/Mexican border. Just what we need. The US military killing folks looking to come to the promise land. America's new dream...live target practice!