Iraqi armoured column heading out of basra

[zeocrash]

Ok Just anounced on the news is the fact that an iraqi armoured column is heading south out of basra. I am suspicious about this movement as armoured columns tend to draw fire, especialy when the enemy has air supremacy. so pondering this over my pasta tonight i came up with several ideas about the objectives of this armoured column.
1. the iraqis intend to surrender to the US troops
(Unlikely, no signs of surrender were seen from the column)
2. the iraqis are trying a counter attack on the british troops to the south of basra
(It is unlikely the iraqis are foolish enough to believe that any tanks would make it as far as the british forces, without an air attack)
3. the iraqis are trying to escape from the insurrection inside basra.
(possible, the members of the uprising would not be too happy with leading iraqis, who have been responsibel for their years of opression)
4. The iraqis are trying to draw attention away from the armoured columns leaving baghdad
(also possible, but it is unlikely to keep allied airplanes occupied for long enough)
5. The one /all of the tanks are packed full of Chem and bioweapons and other such delights. when the tank is bombed, the Bio/chem weapons are dispersed. With the current sandstorm conditions , i would imagine that the weapons would travel quite far.

any thoughts

[vulture]

Unconfirmed reports (belgian radio) say that an armoured column of approx 1000 units is headed from Baghdad to the spearhead of the allied forces. Unless they get air support quickly, those dudes are in serious trouble.
Thousand tanks is still a pain in the ass with air supremacy, certainly if your forward positions are cut off from supplies and other forces.

I thought Iraq only had 300 tanks or so left? Or did they manage to hide the other still functional ones?

<small>[ March 26, 2003, 05:27 PM: Message edited by: vulture ]</small>

[Arkangel]

1000 vehicles, not neccessarily tanks. They have plenty of SP artillery, (inc MLRS type stuff) they have lots of apc's and there will no doubt be oodles of soft vehicles to carry the footsoldiers to their doom.

Cuz that's what is going to happen. The ONLY way for the Iraqis to successfully prosecute this war is as they have been doing. The moment they come into the open they are dead mofo's. I don't doubt that they are on the offensive, and the two major movements are almost certainly not a coincidence, but they will be wasting their assets. IMO the Iraqis are hoping to get in amongst the US forces whilst this shitty weather lasts, and if they do manage to mix it up they will survive a bit longer because of the confusion. Vulture, they WILL be getting shitloads of air support, and at night, the US forces have a massive advantage anyway. A big line of hot vehicle engines is a Turkeyshoot to anything with FLIR - it's not so good in the poor vis they have, but it's a whole load better than the Iraqis have.

Zeo,

1. Was a joke I guess, it's not so convincing waving a white flag out of a tank.
2. Definitely what's happening - a "counter - attack". Sad that they think they have a chance, but then in the bizarre logic of the region, if they all die to blow up one Brit Tank that would be a victory.
3. I remember footage of the last insurrection in Basra, and of a tank heavily on fire, but I doubt this is the case, people are unlikely to be that confident yet. If it were the case, why head straight to the enemy? Personally I'd fuck off North and then North West to make myself useful and try to catch the US at Nasiriya in a pincer movement.
4. Fits in with my view that this is a coordinated effort - trying to stretch "allied" air power more thinly in this shitty weather.
5. To wet, too poor a delivery method, not going to get close enough to us, and anyway relies on martyrs. I don't think there are so many of them in Iraq. Plus I don't know how well the stuff copes with being burnt, but not so well methinks.

[russian_chemist]

i see that you have clearly said that there is no one that stupid...

i have just seen a car drive in to an abrahams tank and shoot it with a handgun, that is the personification and epitimy of pure stupidity!
there is nothing to low for these morons

[Anthony]

In a Hollywood film, those would likely be the actions of the hero!