Time Travel 04: I Fight the US in the Middle East

Chapter 135 The Second Bloody Night

The Americans are hesitating.

Near the small town of Doyle, north of Baghdad and south of Tikrit, lies the U.S. 1st Armored Division, the most powerful army in the country.

After leaving Baghdad, they lay in wait here, like hunters waiting for their prey, quietly waiting for the Ba'ath Party to pounce from the north.

Neither Mosul nor Kirkuk escaped their sights, but—who could have imagined that instead of news of the Ba'ath Party army marching south, they would instead witness riots in Baghdad.

In a dilapidated house, Major General Ricardo Sanchez frowned as he listened to his adjutant Bruce report the latest news.

"Hazim-Shalan and his wife have secretly left Baghdad, and their current whereabouts are unknown. However, they are likely to have met up with his nephew. Therefore, if we send people to Shebaqa now, we might be able to capture them easily."

"Go to Shebaqa? We can't even get back to Baghdad. Our current mission is to quell the rebellion in the north. If the Ba'ath Party gains power, it will definitely not be a good thing for us."

"All right."

Bruce was merely reporting the news and proposing some solutions, but the choice ultimately rested with the commander.

"There are many suspicious points in this matter," Major General Ricardo Sanchez said. "As Minister of Defense, to condone his nephew robbing a high-ranking official in the Green Zone—that Hazim-Shalan shouldn't be that stupid. However—since the person has escaped, then..."

"It's a mess, so let's not get involved."

'

They are the military and don't handle administration, so there's no need for them to help coordinate these matters. If they don't handle it well, they might get themselves into trouble.

Now, what they care about most is whether the Revival Party will actually make a move. His gaze fell on the map.

Mosul.

Redbeard was also frowning as he looked at the map.

"Last night, a riot broke out in Baghdad. The Minister of Defense's nephew, along with his troops, searched the homes of all the high-ranking officials in the Green Zone. It is conservatively estimated that over a hundred million dollars of wealth fell into his hands. Then, under the cover of night, he fled, leaving his uncle in the city to bear the brunt of public anger."

Speaking of this, Awad sighed with emotion: "Hundreds of millions of dollars! Those people in the Green Zone are really rolling in money. If we—"

If we go in, can we skin those guys in the Green Zone even more alive?

"Yes, leader, what are we hesitating for? Once the Mahdi army finds out about this, they'll definitely rush to Baghdad to loot it. We have to hurry! If we're too late, there might be nothing left there," Younis said.

Despite his men's urging, Redbeard remained hesitant.

"This is very strange. Hazim-Shalan wouldn't be so reckless as to rob his colleagues. He didn't have a good ending either. Besides, he didn't leave with his nephew."

"So he was tricked by his nephew."

"However, based on the current intelligence, his nephew is a fool, not that clever, unless—"

"Unless what?"

Under everyone's gaze, Redbeard couldn't continue speaking. He couldn't think of any other possibility; he just felt something was amiss, even a vague unease. If he led the team south now, it might...

Ta-da!

Just then, an intelligence officer rushed in: "Report! We've just received word that the Mahdi Army is recruiting and expanding its ranks. Many guerrilla groups have had their best members selected to join the Mahdi Army—"

Although they cooperated with the Mahdi Army, they still didn't trust it and monitored it at every turn. Now—the Mahdi Army's actions could no longer be hidden from them, but—

Why is the Mahdi Army suddenly expanding its forces at this time? Unless—

Suddenly, Redbeard realized that the wealth of the officials who had been robbed in Baghdad's Green Zone had most likely fallen into the hands of Mahdi's army!

Although we don't know how they operated, this is very likely the truth, and now—what should the Revival Party do?

Once the Mahdi Army completes this expansion, it may re-enter Baghdad and completely take control of the city!

We can't wait any longer. A growing Mahdi army would be a threat to the Ba'ath Party. After all, they are a faction, and the fact that they fought side by side last time is enough to show how high Azzam's command skills are!

"Mobilize three thousand elite troops and head south tonight, straight for Baghdad. By dawn tomorrow, we'll have Baghdad under our control!"

"yes!"

Everyone got excited, and no one was worried about the 6th Division trained by the US military. After all, many of those people were soldiers from the Saddam era. As long as our side went over and shouted a slogan, those people would abandon their evil ways and come to the light.

The Mahdi Army can wait, but the Ba'ath Party simply can't!

Awad and Younis immediately went out to organize their men. With the liberation of Mosul, the former Ba'ath Party leaders, officers, and soldiers all flocked to him. Now he could leave behind the necessary guards and also send out three thousand men to attack Baghdad.

The sky gradually darkened.

Buzz, buzz!

Pickups, cars, and motorcycles drove out of Mosul and headed south aggressively.

At an altitude of 10,000 meters, a uniquely designed aircraft immediately took notice of the movements.

It has a straight wing over 30 meters long, making it look like a large glider, even wider than the wings of a Boeing 737. The nose is huge, like a big-headed fly, and the uniquely shaped V-tail and the engine nozzles encased in the tail make it look even more unusual.

It's easy to recognize at a glance: the RQ-4 Global Hawk UAV.

To address the reconnaissance equipment needs following the retirement of the U-2 and Blackbird, Northrop Grumman developed this high-altitude long-endurance strategic unmanned reconnaissance aircraft for the U.S. military. It officially entered service in 2001 and cost over $100 million, making it one of the most expensive pieces of equipment in the U.S. military's arsenal.

It can fly continuously for more than 30 hours, filling the gap in satellite reconnaissance. However, due to its high cost, it only appears in key locations.

This is the first time a Global Hawk drone has flown over Iraq since the defeat of the Saddam regime last year. After all, the United States recently lost face and needs to regain it!

The US military cannot approach the mountains, otherwise they will be easily discovered by the guerrillas. Once the enemy becomes vigilant, they will not be easy to catch. But now—they have finally come out!

Near the small town of Dol, in a dilapidated house, Major General Ricardo Sanchez finally breathed a sigh of relief.

They're here! They've finally arrived!

"Order troops to lie in ambush near Highway 1, and call for F-16s at Tallil Air Base to prepare for takeoff!"

"Yes."

After holding it in for so long, I can finally breathe a sigh of relief!

As night deepened, Azam had just fallen asleep at the Mahdi military base near Mandali when there was a knock on the door.

"Leader Azzam! Leader Azzam! Emergency! Ba'ath Party troops have emerged from Mosul!"

Azam rolled over: "God bless them, they don't need to tell me this."

What does this mean? The Azzam leader doesn't seem to care at all?

It's hard to reason with a damned devil. There's no need for Azam to warn them now. If he did, they would just think he was afraid they would seize Baghdad.

In the Arab world, this damned factional infighting never stops. Azzam is really speechless, but there's nothing he can do but do as the Romans do.

Highway 1 runs through northern Iraq, connecting Baghdad and Mosul, and continues north to Syria and Turkey.

Such a road was certainly important, so back then, Saddam Hussein made a grand gesture and built it into a six-lane road in both directions, making it incredibly fast—but only before the 1990s.

During the Gulf War, this highway was hit by a lot of bombs. After it was repaired after the Gulf War, another war broke out in 03!

After the roadworks were completed in 03, many potholes appeared. Before the establishment of the Yituo government, no one took care of the matter. Although the government was established this year, there is no money to repair it.

Therefore, this road is full of potholes and very difficult to travel. More importantly, it passes through many areas controlled by anti-American armed groups. Therefore, the US military calls this highway the "Death Highway".

Now, anti-American forces are marching south!

The Ba'ath Party is the backbone. After leaving Mosul, the anti-American armed groups along the way heard that they were going to attack Baghdad. What else is there to say? Follow them!

Beat-up pickup trucks, beat-up motorcycles, and even tractors were heading towards Baghdad along this dilapidated Highway 1!

It's impossible for them to keep it a secret; the people in the Green Zone will probably know before they even reach Baghdad.

Last night, Hazim-Shalan's nephew kept going all night, so many people were exhausted and fast asleep when there was a knock on the bedroom door.

"Master, master, something terrible has happened! We just received news that the Ba'ath Party is advancing from Mosul!"

What is the Ba'ath Party afraid of? They're not the Mahdi Army. Wait, what? They're coming to Baghdad?

These damn guys, how could they be so crazy!

In their attempt to drive out the American troops, they burned nearly 10,000 people to death. If they had come to Baghdad, it would have been a living hell.

Run! Run now!

Some people are preparing to flee, while others are still hesitating. Where to run? Of all the cities in Iraq, Baghdad is the safest, guarded by the American-equipped Sixth Division. It won't be so easy for the Ba'ath Party to attack Baghdad, will it?

Baghdad Garrison Command.

Major General Duleimi, rubbing his sleepy eyes, issued the battle orders: "Move the 5th Infantry Brigade out of the city and hold the northern border. Strive to resolve the battle outside the city using our superior equipment. The remaining troops will be deployed in echelons within the city, with the rear troops acting as a supervisory force. Anyone who dares to retreat is to be shot on sight!"

Although the Ba'ath Party recaptured Mosul, it was by burning down American troops. Even if they could gather their former forces, they lacked heavy equipment. The 6th Division, at least, had a significant amount of American equipment, allowing them to win in open field battles outside the city using their superior equipment. As for fighting in urban warfare—

Once casualties occur, it can easily lead to a collapse of morale. Supervisory teams are essential; otherwise, the army will collapse at the first sign of trouble.

After arranging all this, Major General Duleimi felt utterly exhausted. More and more things had happened in the last few days than in the entire year, and they were all unbelievable!

The aura surrounding the US military is steadily fading; hopefully, this time they can settle things in one decisive battle.

At this moment, outside Doyle, along both sides of Highway 1, tens of thousands of American troops entered ambush positions, waiting quietly.

10 o'clock, 12 o'clock, 2 o'clock, 3 o'clock —

Finally, the ground shook, and pickup trucks surged forward, followed by trucks, motorcycles, and finally tractors.

This doesn't look like an army at all; it's just a rabble!

The Ba'ath Party was certainly aware of all this, but buying equipment required money and a means to do so. Once they captured Baghdad and regained control of the country, they could reorganize their army. Now—that was enough to deal with the Sixth Division.

With a roar, the convoy started moving, completely unaware that they had walked into the lion's den.

Under the night vision goggles, everything was clearly visible. The tank commanders even felt that using armor-piercing rounds was a waste; they preferred the M8.

30 is perfect.

The machine guns on the armored vehicles can unleash their full power.

Finally, the army, which had stretched for several kilometers, was completely encircled!

"Fire!" Ricardo Sanchez gave the order from the command post.

Boom! Boom boom!

Thud thud thud!

Dense artillery fire came from both sides of the road!

Pickup trucks were blown to bits, and trucks were riddled with bullet holes—the soldiers who were just dreaming of making a fortune in Baghdad suddenly found themselves surrounded!

"Quick, keep going, break through!" Awad shouted, directing his pickup truck forward, but the flashes of fire in his rearview mirror told him that no one could keep up with him!

boom!

A shell landed near his pickup truck, sending the vehicle flying.

In his final moments, Awad's mind was filled with images of their last victory. Why? Why? With Azam in command, they could win. Without him—

Later, Eunice wanted to lead his men to retreat, but—the guerrillas following behind slowed them down! Before they could even overtake the sluggish tractors, American artillery shells were already raining down.

It was a trap! It really was a trap!

The burning of American troops last time made everyone think that the American military was nothing special. Now—they finally realized that it wasn't that the American military was too incompetent, but that Azam's command ability was too terrifying. Without Azam, the Ba'ath Party would never be able to regain its former glory.

Thud thud thud!

Machine gun fire swept in, and Younis was blasted in two.

This was a bloody night!

The three thousand troops gathered by the Revival Party, plus the addition of guerrillas along the way, numbered nearly five thousand when they arrived here, but were easily wiped out by the US military!

If these people were in Mosul, they could easily inflict thousands of casualties on the US military. In the open, no force could stand up to the US military unless—they changed their current tactics. Unfortunately, all of this was in Azam's hands!