>I had to read this twice before I realized that the last sentence is about
>the US/UK divisions, not the supposedly destroyed Baghdad division and the
>supposedly de-effectivized Medina division.
>
>I was skeptical all day about their claims that 'the Baghdad division is no
>more'. There were reports of something like 100 Iraqi deaths. That's a
>hard hit, but doesn't a division have 15,000 people or so? Even if the
>Guard is not at full strength, completely obliterating a division would be a
>hell of a job.
varies:
<quote>
Iraq's regular army consists of about 200,000 personnel organized into seventeen divisions--including three armored and three mechanized--and commanded by five corps headquarters. The bulk of the army, eleven of its divisions, is deployed opposite the Kurds, while another three divisions conduct counterinsurgency operations against the Shi'ite guerrillas in southern Iraq. The remaining three divisions (two armored and one mechanized infantry) guard Iraq's southern border with Iran.
The regular army was hit hardest by Operation Desert Storm, the intifadah, and the sanctions. Its morale remains low, especially among the infantry divisions, which are largely manned by Shi'ite conscripts and have last call on supplies, training, and virtually everything else. ... Nevertheless, the army's heavy divisions (its six armored and mechanized divisions) retain a very strong sense of professionalism and corresponding esprit de corps. It is noteworthy that the regular army's Third and Twelfth Armored Divisions and its Fifth and First Mechanized Divisions fought just about as hard as the Republic Guards during the Gulf War, albeit with even less skill than the Guards.
The Republican Guard remains Iraq's elite fighting force. At present, the Guard consists of 80,0000 men in six divisions, commanded by two corps headquarters. The Guard's three armored divisions, the most powerful formation in Iraq, ring Baghdad, forming a cordon around the capital that would be extremely difficult for regular army units to break through in an attempt to overthrow the regime. The Guard's two infantry divisions and one mechanized division are in the north, where they act as a reserve for the army formations and also keep the army's guns pointed north toward the Kurds, not south toward the capital. The Guard is heavily Sunni and highly professional--in terms of attitude and discipline. It was built up during the Iran-Iraq War by plucking all of the best officers and soldiers from the regular army and reassigning them to the Guard, whether they wanted to be or not. Most of the Guard personnel were chosen based on performance in battle rather than support for the regime. for this reason it should not be surprising that since 1990 there have been a fair number of coup plots from within the Republic Guard. The Guard gets the better equipment, better and more frequent training, better logistical support, and greater accolades. In addition, Guard personnel seem to revel in their elite status and the fact that they generally get the toughest assignments. As a result, the Guard has demonstrated very high esprit, as witnessed by its willingness to fight to the death in the battles of the Gulf War.
fn32. An Iraqi armored division consists of seven tank battalions and five mechanized infantry battalions, fielding roughly 200-250 tanks and 150-180 armored personnel carriers. An Iraqi mechanized infantry division consists of the opposite: five tank battalions and seven mechanized infantry battalions, comprising 150--180 tanks and 200-250 armored personnel carriers.
from Kenneth's Pollack's _The Threatening Storm_ (will look up pages later!)