Troops in Iraq Strain to Hold Lines of Supply

[Robbien]

By ERIC SCHMITT

Published: April 13, 2004

<snip>

On Monday, a convoy of flatbed trucks carrying M-113 armored personnel carriers was attacked and burned on a road in Latifiya, 20 miles south of Baghdad, according to The Associated Press. Witnesses said three people had been killed. A supply truck was also ambushed and set ablaze on Monday on the road from Baghdad's airport. Looters moved in to carry away goods from the truck as Iraqi policemen looked on without intervening, The A.P. reported.

Commanders and contractors have said American forces are in no immediate danger of running low on essential supplies. Most units are said to keep at least a week's supply of fuel, food and water at their bases. Kellogg Brown & Root vowed Monday "to stay the course and move forward with the logistical support to troops," but with unspecified changes in delivery and security procedures, a spokeswoman said.

"We are all concerned about the recent incidents in Iraq, and when hostilities intensify we revise and step up our precautions in support of our security efforts," said Wendy Hall, the spokeswoman for Kellogg Brown & Root, which has more than 700 trucks on the roads in Kuwait and Iraq.

But John C. McCarthy, the director of projects for T.T.S. Group, a British company whose Kuwaiti affiliate ships cargo into Iraq, said his company would not operate north of Basra, in the relatively secure south. "I wouldn't do that any more than put my hand on a hot stove," Mr. McCarthy said in a telephone interview.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/13/politics/13MILI.html

[Redleg]

1. Sounds bad- seems like our troops are overextended.

Of course we can't count on KBR to keep our people fed.

[burrowowl]

2. They don't seem to get enough food and water as it is

and I heard their ammo is rationed as well.
A week's supply and if a seige occurs? Will Bu$hCo get angry and use big munitions? How many Iraqis killed and how many US Troops by friendly fire? etc.
A frigging mess! No! Quagmire!