J-10
06-05-2004, 05:24 AM
Saturday June 5, 2004 7:16 AM
By FISNIK ABRASHI
Associated Press Writer
CAMP MERCURY, Iraq (AP) - They ride out of remote camps in Humvees, often with flak jackets and rifles as their only protection for long - and sometimes lethal - patrols through Iraq's desert expanse.
The small U.S. Marine convoys, lacking tanks and heavily armored vehicles, may seem an easy target for Sunni insurgents in the restive Anbar province, the largely uninhabited swath of land stretching north and west of Baghdad to the borders of Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
Unlike the Army - whose daunting Abrams tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles shake the ground and send villagers scurrying for their homes - the Marines say they prefer not to use heavy armor.
``Sometimes, the armored vehicle gives a false sense of security,'' says Maj. Larry Kaifesh of the 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, which is based near Fallujah, 40 miles west of Baghdad.
Sitting inside a heavily armored vehicle can prevent a Marine from seeing his enemy. It also puts distance between the gun and the enemy, Kaifesh said.
The Marines stand out among U.S. troops in Iraq, for their digital-print camouflage uniforms as well as for the lack of tanks and Bradleys inside their camps.
Most of their Humvees have armor plates but no side windows. The open-top back is often reinforced only by simple metal plaques placed on the sides.
Many would conclude that the sparse use of armor - so different from the Army's way - makes the Marines more vulnerable on the battlefield.
The Marines disagree. By appearing to be exposed, they say they are baiting insurgents, trying to draw fire so they can locate insurgents, then go for the kill, said Sgt. Mathew Conrad.
``We like to go look for (them) instead of having them come to us,'' said Conrad, 30, from Simi Valley, Calif. ``We go out looking for trouble for the sake of everyone's peace.''
Since the battalion arrived here in March, hundreds of insurgents have been killed, officials have said.
``It is like boxing. You pretend that you miss with your right, they take a swing at you and than you hit them back hard with your left,'' said Gunnery Sgt. Mark Kline, 42, of Kansas City, Mo. ``If you do not take risks, you won't win a match.''
Jeremy Binnie, a Middle East military analyst with the London defense consultancy, Jane's, said that any ``intentional placing of troops in harm's way'' carries serious risks.
British troops have been known to shun their armor to ``boost relations with the local people and show them they were not intimidating,'' he said.
``But looking to draw Iraqis (insurgents) into a standoff fight this way ... is dangerous,'' Binnie, who has closely followed the war in Iraq, told The Associated Press.
He suggests that the Marine a conflict in different ways.''
When the Army rotated fresh units into Iraq this spring, the newly arrived forces left some of their tanks, Bradleys and armored personnel carriers at home, figuring they needed a higher proportion of Humvees to be light and more agile to deal with insurgents.
But as the anti-occupation violence has grown, Army leaders have concluded that the lighter force should be stiffened with more armor. Initially the response was to add armor plates to the Humvees, giving them a measure of extra protection. Now, even that seems too little, and the Army is asking for additional tanks or other heavy armored vehicles to improve protection for soldiers.
The Humvee is a utility vehicle, designed to carry troops, equipment and wounded soldiers and not intended at first for combat zones.
Since arriving in the Fallujah area, known for fierce anti-U.S. insurgency, the Marines have taken a heavy toll.
Almost 10 percent of Kaifesh's battalion has been wounded, many of them during a three-week siege of the city of Fallujah. That attack was prompted by the April 5 massacre of four American civilian contractors.
At least 10 Marines were killed in those battles, along with hundreds of Iraqis.
Since then, attacks on the Marines have decreased, but mortars are still lobbed at their bases and roadside bombs are placed in the path of their patrols.
This has not deterred the Marines, who still ``seek the enemy and try to destroy it,'' said 1st Lt. Richard Wilkerson, 28, of Knoxville, Tenn.
Killing the enemy is not the problem, Kaifesh said.
``Finding him is difficult,'' he said. ``It is like looking for a needle in a haystack.''
From (http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-4170268,00.html)
By FISNIK ABRASHI
Associated Press Writer
CAMP MERCURY, Iraq (AP) - They ride out of remote camps in Humvees, often with flak jackets and rifles as their only protection for long - and sometimes lethal - patrols through Iraq's desert expanse.
The small U.S. Marine convoys, lacking tanks and heavily armored vehicles, may seem an easy target for Sunni insurgents in the restive Anbar province, the largely uninhabited swath of land stretching north and west of Baghdad to the borders of Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
Unlike the Army - whose daunting Abrams tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles shake the ground and send villagers scurrying for their homes - the Marines say they prefer not to use heavy armor.
``Sometimes, the armored vehicle gives a false sense of security,'' says Maj. Larry Kaifesh of the 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, which is based near Fallujah, 40 miles west of Baghdad.
Sitting inside a heavily armored vehicle can prevent a Marine from seeing his enemy. It also puts distance between the gun and the enemy, Kaifesh said.
The Marines stand out among U.S. troops in Iraq, for their digital-print camouflage uniforms as well as for the lack of tanks and Bradleys inside their camps.
Most of their Humvees have armor plates but no side windows. The open-top back is often reinforced only by simple metal plaques placed on the sides.
Many would conclude that the sparse use of armor - so different from the Army's way - makes the Marines more vulnerable on the battlefield.
The Marines disagree. By appearing to be exposed, they say they are baiting insurgents, trying to draw fire so they can locate insurgents, then go for the kill, said Sgt. Mathew Conrad.
``We like to go look for (them) instead of having them come to us,'' said Conrad, 30, from Simi Valley, Calif. ``We go out looking for trouble for the sake of everyone's peace.''
Since the battalion arrived here in March, hundreds of insurgents have been killed, officials have said.
``It is like boxing. You pretend that you miss with your right, they take a swing at you and than you hit them back hard with your left,'' said Gunnery Sgt. Mark Kline, 42, of Kansas City, Mo. ``If you do not take risks, you won't win a match.''
Jeremy Binnie, a Middle East military analyst with the London defense consultancy, Jane's, said that any ``intentional placing of troops in harm's way'' carries serious risks.
British troops have been known to shun their armor to ``boost relations with the local people and show them they were not intimidating,'' he said.
``But looking to draw Iraqis (insurgents) into a standoff fight this way ... is dangerous,'' Binnie, who has closely followed the war in Iraq, told The Associated Press.
He suggests that the Marine a conflict in different ways.''
When the Army rotated fresh units into Iraq this spring, the newly arrived forces left some of their tanks, Bradleys and armored personnel carriers at home, figuring they needed a higher proportion of Humvees to be light and more agile to deal with insurgents.
But as the anti-occupation violence has grown, Army leaders have concluded that the lighter force should be stiffened with more armor. Initially the response was to add armor plates to the Humvees, giving them a measure of extra protection. Now, even that seems too little, and the Army is asking for additional tanks or other heavy armored vehicles to improve protection for soldiers.
The Humvee is a utility vehicle, designed to carry troops, equipment and wounded soldiers and not intended at first for combat zones.
Since arriving in the Fallujah area, known for fierce anti-U.S. insurgency, the Marines have taken a heavy toll.
Almost 10 percent of Kaifesh's battalion has been wounded, many of them during a three-week siege of the city of Fallujah. That attack was prompted by the April 5 massacre of four American civilian contractors.
At least 10 Marines were killed in those battles, along with hundreds of Iraqis.
Since then, attacks on the Marines have decreased, but mortars are still lobbed at their bases and roadside bombs are placed in the path of their patrols.
This has not deterred the Marines, who still ``seek the enemy and try to destroy it,'' said 1st Lt. Richard Wilkerson, 28, of Knoxville, Tenn.
Killing the enemy is not the problem, Kaifesh said.
``Finding him is difficult,'' he said. ``It is like looking for a needle in a haystack.''
From (http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-4170268,00.html)