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File: doc33_03.txt
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EPW reports also indicate to us during debriefing sessions that the Xraqi
forces in the Xuwait theater of operations specifically, are using Xuwaiti ~unicipal
vehicles garbage trucks, sedans, etc1, for their resupply effort. A further
atte:~t to reconfirm what we have said on previous occasions, that they are Using
civilians1 civilian structures and facilities, and now vehicles to try to protect
theni fro~ coalition fOrces attacks.
On the naval side, our naval forces continue to support the air ca~npaign, ,nine
counteru~asures, and iiariti~ interception operations. For the first time, AV-8~'s
have been operating off the deck of an LnA on co~at operations.
That concludes ry prepared remarks. ~`~ prepared for your questions.
Q: The arms that you found with this infantry battalion, is this the standard
armaments they would have, or would they be considerca ~ore l~ghtly armed than you
would have expected?
A: I think I would say they're the standard weapons we would normally associ
ate with in infantry battalion. X would ~ike to :~ke one comment - I wouldn't want
to say that this was one battalion. The nunbers would probably indicate very close
to a battalion, but I don't think I could say this was one battalion, en toto, raised
their arias and surrendered. We did get a battalion staff, to include the battalion
Co~t~nder, but there, obviously, ~ght have been ~ore people in the area, as
evidenced ~y our pickin9 up 14 additional later on today.
C: Was it a reconstituted battalion, or are you ~ust sayin~ that it's omaller
than a battalion size?
A; It's smaller than a battalion size, and I don't think I'd attach reconsti-
tuted as a way of trying to describe it.
0; ~ou went back to this area today. That gives the i::pression that there's
some ~ind of yawning gap in their defenses, which is there's nothing happening there.
We've been able to go back and forth at will. Can you give us some idea of what's
actually going on there, and what Ira~i forces are around there7 ~e there nothing,
and we've got a gap in the line?
A: You've got to put it in perspecti~e. Your description :night be apropos for
this particular area that we have gone out to and returned on a second occasion, but
I wouldn't want to rake that type of deacription carried across the entire front.
Surpricingly, there was, except for the 14 that we captured, there was no resistance
or folks had not ~oved back into this bunker coz~plox.
~: One of your colleagues was saying this :r~orning that a lot of Iraqi units
are, his phrase, *`throw away" units, that the Iraqi conu~~and structure doesn't seain to
have equipped them or trained them in such a way that-they could really defend
themselves, but that there is a core of at least 10 divisions quite well trained,
quite able end ready to fight, still. Do you agree with that assessment? You're
sort of dealing with outer perii~eters that do not really indicate the quality of
what's inside.
A: I don't think I would agree co~letely with that aseeesrflent. Nunber one,
I'~ not sure I would come up with the number ten in divisions. number' two, I don't
think I would nake a stereotype comment that all of the front.line forces were throw
a~sy u~tti. Sone of the ones evidenced in the Xhafji group were obviously well
trained, well equipped, and a very aggressive organi~ation The orga~ization we took
yesterday probably was a co::~posite organi:ation. Throw away is probably too hard a
term to use. I think what you're seeing in some of these organizations, or what
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