Re: [Marxism] Defenders of evil-M.O.U.T.

[sobuadhaigh@xxxxxxxxxxxx]

Gary wrote:
>
>I am just watching on Al Jazeera a video 
>of the Israeli training facility in the Negev.  
>There they have created a Palestinian village 
>and they practice going from street to street 
>flushing out the 'terrorists".
>
>The officer in charge called this a "real" 
>experience.  The Al Jazeera correspondent pointed 
>out that the facility was empty while Gaza towns 
>were full of civilians, who would be caught in the
>crossfire.

That "village" is, in fact a "M.O.U.T" site a.k.a. 
"military operations on urban terrain" training 
facility setting right in the border of Gaza. This 
training area has received quite bit of press coverage 
and the CNN report mentioned that it was constructed by 
the US Army. The American Army has spent a considerable 
amount of time considering the challenge of fighting in 
cities since the savage fighting in Hue during the Tet 
offensive showed just how unprepared American soldiers
were for this kind of warfare. The method in which the 
American military is trained now in urban combat is 
delineated in the publication FM 90-10.
<http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/army/fm/90-
10/index.html>

Are the Israelis using US Army doctrine 
as well as their state of the art training
facility? Sure enough, a report on the 
Canadian Broadcast Company tonight showed
an IDF squad approaching and clearing a 
room exactly "according to the book."

From âHow to Attack and Clear Buildingsâ 
(Appendix G)

>A searching team (two-man minimum) is assigned 
>to clear one or more rooms. When entering a room 
>avoid using door handles. Knock the door open with 
>automatic-fire and throw a hand grenade into the 
>room. After detonation, one man quickly enters, 
>sprays the room with automatic fire, and takes 
>up a position where he can observe the entire 
>room. At this time, a second man enters and 
>conducts a systematic search.

As to the problem of civilians (chapter 5), 90-10 
doesn't deal with them that much and then primarily 
as a source of difficultities casued by masses of 
refugees on the same roads as military convoys.
There is a note of caution, however, against
shelling built up civilian areas:

>When applying firepower in a built-up area, 
>only military targets may be attacked. Mass 
>bombardments (air/artillery) are tactically 
>counter-productive (reduces mobility and provides 
>better cover). They also alienate the population 
>whose support in achieving tactical and strategic 
>objectives is required.

Of course the American Army envisions a battle 
between armies in a urban are in which almost all
civilians have fled. One wonders if the Israelis 
have read the entire book and considered the 
likely hood of slaughtering mass numbers of
trapped civilians? Whose strategic goals would 
that serve?





  

--
Click here to become certified in medical billing and training at these schools.
 
http://tagline.hushmail.com/fc/PnY6qxvD4F3ba6pKt5mTkOlo29UXJHEEYn1BvofzN7lEcy8Va1wqL/


________________________________________________
YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message.
Send list submissions to: Marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Set your options at: 
http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/archive%40archives.econ.utah.edu