Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Things always look better from the wilds of Delisle.


The on-the-ground reality (emphasis added):

Fatigue cripples US army in Iraq

Exhaustion and combat stress are besieging US troops in Iraq as they battle with a new type of warfare. Some even rely on Red Bull to get through the day. As desertions and absences increase, the military is struggling to cope with the crisis


... [Lieutenant Clay] Hanna and his men are not alone in being tired most of the time. A whole army is exhausted and worn out. You see the young soldiers washed up like driftwood at Baghdad's international airport, waiting to go on leave or returning to their units, sleeping on their body armour on floors and in the dust.

Where once the war in Iraq was defined in conversations with these men by untenable ideas - bringing democracy or defeating al-Qaeda - these days the war in Iraq is defined by different ways of expressing the idea of being weary. It is a theme that is endlessly reiterated as you travel around Iraq. 'The army is worn out. We are just keeping people in theatre who are exhausted,' says a soldier working for the US army public affairs office who is supposed to be telling me how well things have been going since the 'surge' in Baghdad began.

They are not supposed to talk like this. We are driving and another of the public affairs team adds bitterly: 'We should just be allowed to tell the media what is happening here. Let them know that people are worn out. So that their families know back home. But it's like we've become no more than numbers now.'

Well, now ... just who are you going to believe?

"The US military is more successful in Iraq than the world wants to believe."

It's purely amazing what a comfy chair, a good computer and several thousand miles between you and the action will do for your perspective.

28 comments:

Nonny said...

What leftists fail to understand is that soldiers are ALWAYS tired when they are in the middle of significant military activities. This just goes to show that ignorance of the military and hatred of the US combine to make you look like an absolute fool.

Right now, you seem to forget, they are battling AQ. They don't get much sleep, so they take naps whenever and wherever they can. It's just wishful thinking on your part to imagine the US military is "crippled." It's sheer stupidity for you to argue that there's some sort of contradiction between Marines and soldiers' being tired and their being successful in their fight against AQ in Iraq.

thwap said...

nonny,

What rightists don't understand is that they're complete shitheads.

Even the sections CC posted are quite clear that long-term, persistent fatigue is what is being discussed, not temporary exhaustion after an engagement.

What rightists fail to understand is that they're contemptible, lying hypocrites, who (in the US)refuse to even give the troops they claim to love and worship so much, minimal rest-time before they're again redeployed.

nonny, you stupid oaf, "AQ" is only a small part of the fighting in Iraq. If you could pull your ugly, fat head out of your ass long enough to study this issue, you wouldn't be saying such stupid tripe.

CC said...

It's hard to fathom the indescribable stupidity of someone like Nonny who doesn't understand the difference between just being tired, and being utterly exhausted from only getting three hours of sleep a night for so long that you can't think straight, and you start making little mistakes and, because of those mistakes, you end up dead.

There is no value discussing any of this with Nonny. He's an idiot, and that's not going to change.

Nonny said...

There's certainly is no value to any of you discussing anything. You never do. You emote.

Nevertheless, it's clear CC, that you don't know a thing about a soldier's fatigue. You don't know a thing about fighting a war. You don't know a thing about AQ in Iraq. You don't know a thing about the surge.

Thwap, shut your twap. You sound like an idiot.

Zorpheous said...

Richard, the insurgency in Iraq, all sides combine, is estimated at 70,000 people, of those 70,000 people only about 2,000 are AQ.

I also doubt very much you anything about fighting in a war either and you 101st Fight Keyboard Arm patch doesn't mean jack shit.

Now run allow, you have a election to lose

Adam C said...

Shorter Richard: "The troops are just a bunch of whiners. They'll be fine. Also, I support them."

thwap said...

nonny,

I don't care if you don't click on the links. I often don't.

But right there, what CC posted, you fucking moron, are the words:

'The army is worn out. We are just keeping people in theatre who are exhausted,' says a soldier working for the US army public affairs office

I guess "leftists" include soldiers who are actually there on the ground, ... who just don't measure up to he-man tigers like yourself, is that right?

You're such a contemptible dipshit. Is it hard being laughably stupid every single day of your life? Because that's what you are and that's what you're going to be.

Now, fuck off. Those people in Iraq are suffering, suffering badly, because of USians of your similar intellectual limitations.

Nonny said...

Those numbers are very interesting, Zorpheus, but not really reflective of the main concentration of current US firepower. I thought you'd all get your dander up by the "AQ" reference. I was right. It's clearly a sore point for you lefties. What? You're having a problem with accepting the whole idea that AQ is in Iraq? That is always was?.

Ah, screw off. The surge has accomplished so far two main things: (1) Turned a large part the the Sunni population against AQ and to the US side and (2) devastated AQ in Iraq.

Zorph, you are free to doubt my knowledge of military matters all you want, but why don't you enlighten me as to who these "101st Fight Keyboarders" are? Nevertheless, regardless of how much I know, I am confident I know more than any of you here.

And who is Richard?

CC said...

Guys,

"Nonny" is not Richard Evans -- Richard posts under the blogger handle "Notnonny". "Nonny" is simply just as dumb, so I can understand the confusion.

Nonny said...

Thwap,

Of course they are exhausted, you dimwit. Who said they weren't? You just don't know why.

"Those people in Iraq are suffering, suffering badly, because of USians of your similar intellectual limitations."

You say that as if you give a damn. Faker.

And what the hell is a USians?

Nonny said...

It is crystal clear to me that you dumb Doras have the reading comprehension skills of a five-year-old. Here's my initial post again. Read carefully, children, and tell me what it means. Do you think it means the soldiers and Marines are not tired? Does it say that they are not sleep deprived? Does it say [sob!] that I "don't care" about the troops?*

"They [the US troops] don't get much sleep, so they take naps whenever and wherever they can. It's just wishful thinking on your part to imagine the US military is "crippled." It's sheer stupidity for you to argue that there's some sort of contradiction between Marines and soldiers' being tired and their being successful in their fight against AQ in Iraq."

____________

*As if you do.

thwap said...

Well nonny,

You've been exposed as a hypocrite and a fool.

type away my little waste of jism.

Nonny said...

Try making some sense, Thwap.

Nonny said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Nonny said...

Usians = University of Indiana Association of Nursing Students.

Got it. So, don't bother to reply to that question either, Thwap.

Ti-Guy said...

"Nonny" is not Richard Evans -- Richard posts under the blogger handle "Notnonny". "Nonny" is simply just as dumb, so I can understand the confusion.

Nonny is "Nomennovum," murderously Canadian-hating psychotic from New York City (which is, as we all know, 50% nuts). He's actually quite intelligent, but psychotic nonetheless.

When his presence is detected, a biohazard should be declared and the blog fumigated. Those are the established protocols, last I heard...

Nonny said...

"Nonny" is the name given by Ti-Guy, the murderously America-hating anonymous troll from Ontario (which is, as everybody knows, 93.5% nuts), and who thinks he's made a better guess than Zorpheus, the murderously awful speller also from Ontario (which is, as everybody knows, actually 100% nuts because the people who live there refuse to move away).

Ti-Guy said...

Whatever. Get help, psycho.

The Seer said...

I have to take Nonny's side on this one. Soldiers always are tired during "significant military activities." Mercifully, in the past, "significant military activities" were measured in weeks or months. In iraq, "major combat operations" lasted only about six weeks. Unfortunately, "minor combat operations, or, as Nonny styles them "significant military activities," have been incessant since the end of "major combat operations." It is not the state of exhaustion on the part of the troops that is unusual in Iraq, it is the seemingly interminable duration of the "minor combat operatins" or "significant military activities" that is unusual in Iraq.

Napoleon had this saying: "If you say you're going to take Vienna, take Vienna." When George Sr. said he was going to "take Kuwait," it took him the better part of four days. It's going on five years that George Jr.'s been "taking Iraq." We have turned so many corners in Iraq we're running around in circles. It's a repetition compulsion. In addition to the exhaustion from the "minor combat operations," the troops in Iraq are exhausted by the sense of futility and the knowledge that their lives are being wasted chasing this phantom of victory.

Nonny said...

"In addition to the exhaustion from the "minor combat operations," the troops in Iraq are exhausted by the sense of futility and the knowledge that their lives are being wasted chasing this phantom of victory." -- Seer

Now you're just making stuff up ... but I bet you think it sounds good.

As for your equating "minor combat operations," with "significant military activities," allow me to disagree. The surge is in no way minor. I ask you not to define my words for me.

Nonny said...

"Whatever," Ti-Guy? "Whatever"? What are you, a sixteen year old girl from the Valley?

As for your prescription to get help -- doctor, heal thyself.

Yeesh! Do you ever listen to yourself?

The Seer said...

Dear Nonny:

Do you know why George Jr. is known in these precincts as "Commander Codpiece?"

It was the bulge halfway down his flight suit when he landed on the aircraft carrier and announced "the end of major combat operations" in Iraq, while standing in front of a sign that said "Mission Accomplished."

If Dear Leader says that "major combat operations" have ended, take his word for it, they have ended. What we've had for the past four years and four months is, obviously, "minor combat operations."

Please do not redifine Dear Leaders terms for him.

Ti-Guy said...

What are you, a sixteen year old girl from the Valley?

Sure...the Ottawa Valley. G'day, ya hoor.

Mike said...

Something tells me when it comes to the military, I'll take cc's side over nonny any day.

Nonny said...

Something tells me you're an idiot then, Mike.

Nonny said...

Seer,

You're not very bright. Are you? The words I use have easy to understand definitions. "Significant" has a definition that you can easily look up. I suggest you try. What Bush said four years ago about military actions that had just occurred has no impact on what is actually occurring in Iraq today. Perhaps you should take your complaints up with the terrorists and insurgents who didn't have the good sense to listen to Bush back then. Don't complain to me.

M@ said...

Perhaps you should take your complaints up with the terrorists and insurgents who didn't have the good sense to listen to Bush back then.

Oh my god. That's truly priceless. Yeah, if only everyone had listened to Bush, everything would be okay. You really believe that, don't you?

All they needed to completely fuck up the war was to have people as delusional as Nonny on their side. It makes a lot of sense.

Nonny said...
This comment has been removed by the author.