Via the New York Times:
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- Iraqi security forces will dig trenches around Baghdad and set up checkpoints along all roads leading into the city to try to reduce some of the violence plaguing the capital, the Interior Ministry said Friday.
(snip)
"'We will leave only 28 inlets to Baghdad while all other inlets will be blocked. Supports will be added to the trenches to hinder the movements of people and vehicles. The trenches will be under our watch,"' he said.
He did not have any details, but did say that there would be no concrete walls or razor wire. Khalaf also did not know how deep or wide the trenches would be.
"'They will surround Baghdad," he said of the trenches.
Yup, that's what we're reduced to. Digging trenches. They used to be called "moats", and there were effective at slowing people down as they approached population centers, which allowed those centers to defend themselves more easily. They were developed quite a long time ago (likely before 500 B.C., but I went with that number for the title).
They really ought to re-think the ban on concrete and razor wire. If you use concrete to build up a high barrier on the inside of the moat, er, trench, you could stand on it, and shoot down at the people trying to get in (or, in this case, smuggle stuff and/or people in). You could call them "walls," and stand on them to get a better line-of-sight on the people trying to break in. Being high up is really useful when defending against attacking people. You could even fill the "trench" (moat) with water, and really slow them down.
Are we really reduced to re-inventing fortification technology from over a thousand years ago in order to fight this war more effectively?
Posted by baltar at September 15, 2006 12:14 PM | TrackBack | Posted toThat came much later. Walls and moats first, then boiling oil, tunnelling, siege engines, and murder holes. There is lots of technology they can re-invent if they want to.
Posted by: baltar at September 15, 2006 01:20 PM | PERMALINKAll proper moats need monsters. Big scary poison-drooling monsters with sharp teeth. But that would probably violate some lace-panty UN rule, wouldn't it?
Posted by: jacflash at September 15, 2006 01:32 PM | PERMALINKForget the UN, how would they live in a moat in the desert? I sort figured they should just fill the moats with oil, then set them on fire if need be. Except people might steal the oil.
Posted by: baltar at September 15, 2006 01:37 PM | PERMALINKWell, it seems that you and Farley are not in agreement on historical period.
Posted by: binky at September 15, 2006 04:27 PM | PERMALINKEh. The Medival period is best known for fortification technology (or at least the European Medival period), but I suspect that the idea of wall and trenches/moats actually pre-dates 500 B.C. It's not complicated technology.
Posted by: baltar at September 15, 2006 05:38 PM | PERMALINKWell, lookie here. Someone decided to check out some history.
Posted by: binky at September 18, 2006 04:33 PM | PERMALINKUmmm, yep - there's lots and lots and lots on Iraq in the 1920's that's quite similar to today. It's too bad the petulant, errr president, didn't have many (any?) historians or Middle East experts in his inner circle in 2001 and 2002 (or 2003 or 2004 ...).
Posted by: Armand at September 18, 2006 04:58 PM | PERMALINK