21Alpha, while your observation of what is happening is correct,
you will have to appreciate that to mobilize the 2 Corps strengths
that USA had during Dessert Storm, it would have been impossible
this time round as there is only one single staging area in Kuwait
that is available to the USA while there was the vast area of
Saudi Arabia during Dessert Storm in 1991.
To overcome this limitation, the Central Command developed the
Rolling Start doctrine, where the full force will be developed in
size, as the first group takes off.
After the Afghanistan campaign, USA had developed a new doctrine of
using Special Forces coordinating air strikes, with the support of
local insurgents (if any).
In any case, the vast uninhabited areas of Iraq are ideal ground
for Special Force operations - similar to Afghanistan.
From the constant feed of updated news reports, the normal Iraqi
Army are not putting much resistance during the early days. It
would seemed that the recent days of resistance is probably a
result of Saddam Husseins Fedayeen terrorist squad
threatening the regular soldiers, and even the local citizens to
face death fighting the Coalition Forces, or face immediate
execution by their hands.
In a terrorized Iraqi environment, dont count on the reliability
of demonstrations by the Iraqi civilian population against the
US-UK efforts, as shown regularly on TV. There would have been some
guns pointing at the crowd hidden from the camera view.
In any war, as in any of our own SAF exercises, we would expect
soldiers to tough out the rough living conditions. Rain, mud,
sun, heat all that is part and parcel of a soldiers life in any
country. It cannot be seen as upcoming defeat.
During the Vietnam War, many Field Commanders had to fight this
war, with one hand tied behind their back. Strategic targets that
were outside the Vietnam Theatre were not to be attacked
especially in Cambodia, Laos and North Vietnam right till the end
of the Vietnam War.
The Politicians in Washington were MICRO-Managing the war in South
Vietnam. They were determining and approving where, when and how
the attack is to be made.
Read some of the books written from the Generals down to the most
junior commanders, and you will understand the frustrations and
disillusionment of the US soldiers towards the Vietnam War. The
Anti-Vietnam War mood in US Civil Life, made matters worse for
those who fought in that War.
It was those young officers, who served in the Vietnam War and
learnt those lessons the hard way, and who were placed in the
Leadership Positions in 1991 and led in Dessert Storm that
prevented those same Vietnam War mistakes from being made.
Sorry to differ from your opinion about Iraq was not a nation until
Saddam came along; but before Saddam, Iraq was a flourishing
nation, and continued its reputation of being a cradle of
civilization.
With Saddam, Iraq quickly deteriorated as a Nation, and became
fragmented with his own kindreds from Takri competing with the
Shiites in the South, and the Kurds in the north, and the other
minorities polarized.
It was his way of ruling with a strong grip on the lives of Iraq,
by his way of divide and rule. Any semblence of opposition, even
within his inner circle, is immediately dispatched with.
The same was said about Afghanistan, and of many other
Middle-eastern countries, yet we see some semblance of hope with
the Younger Generations being educated and living in the West, and
being exposed to the Liberal Freedom of the INDIVIDUAL except
that is some countries, the long established system remains intact
and in the hands of the politically savvy.
Many Iraqis, who have fled Iraq, are waiting and looking forward to
this change; and bear out hope for those whom they have left behind
in Iraq.
However, this change in Iraq also holds many contradictory
challenges to the established systems of Governments in the Middle
East, as many of these Governments are no different from the
ancient Feudal Systems found centuries ago.
The ball has been kicked now, and the intention is to score goals
UNLESS, world opinions forced the United Nations to act strongly to
get USA and UK (and all its supporting coalition allies) to
terminate all war activities in Iraq.
Is there sufficient POLITICAL force to ensure that this war
activities be terminated?
