Sadr’s Army Has a Humvee
Gutted Humvee becomes trophy for cleric’s troops
A funny image of AlMahdi Army soldiers going around Kufa today driving an American Hum-vee, the military Hummer was left behind after some clashes around the city. That happened after AsSadr announced that no more attacks on the Spanish army are going to happen, and that Shia are happy with the withdrawal thing. I don’t think things would be funny or happy next week though.
I think it’s likely that Sadr’s Mahdi Army is in way better spirits than the miserable American soldiers around Najaf. I’m going to put some more information on this situation together later, but for now, here’s a quote from an LAT piece:
When 2,500 American troops swung south from Baghdad to confront the militia, it responded with ambushes that left at least one soldier dead and destroyed bridges over Iraq’s wide rivers.
The new troops arrived to Forward Operating Base Duke, an empty swath of desert outside the holy city of Najaf, to find a logistical nightmare.
Military buyers had signed contracts with local vendors to supply everything from water to portable tents. But the contractors were balking at delivering the goods.
“When the security situation gets bad, they don’t want to deliver, and that’s what’s happening now,'” said Army Capt. Ron Talarico, who is helping coordinate supplies.
A temporary water shortage was remedied, but the camp still has only six portable toilets for the 2,500 troops because the company that provides them is reluctant to travel the highway.
There are no showers or laundry facilities. A shortage of tents forces soldiers to sleep in their vehicles in 100-degree weather and blistering sandstorms.
“It’s a wasteland here,” said 1st Lt. Matt Nethers, 24, of Los Alamitos. “The Army logistical system isn’t what it could be.”
Doesn’t camping out around Najaf sound wonderful? These troops have been there a week now.