Saddam's Endgame

Debka ^

[John H K]

Most of the regular Iraqi military decided not to fight or went home.

We have been in combat with parts of the Republican Guard recently.

Why, exactly, were you expecting the Iraqi regular army to fight?

[John H K]

What's your explanation for the Iraqis not blowing the bridges in the first place?

Incompetence, lack of coordination, command and control degredation, and lack of desire to obey orders (Good piece by Robert Krulwich on ABC last night on the oil fields and why they weren't blown, probably similar reasons for the bridges not to be destroyed. Interestingly, because of lack of oil pressure, the oil fields in the North CAN'T be blown.)

It's not possible for where we want and need to go being a "trap." We've got to go to Baghdad anyway.

[F16Fighter]

"I still have an underlying fear in the back of my mind that we are being drawn into a trap slowly but surely. I fear especially that when we get all our forces to the other side of the Euphrates and Tigris that Saddam will blow the bridges behind us and let loose with NBC weapons - in particular nuclear."

I've been thinking the same thing...

In fact Saddam thinks so little of ANY human being, including fellow Iraqis, I fear he'd wait until our troops were amidst Baghdad proper before detonating whatever nuclear cache he may have been hiding.

[Wyatt's Torch]

I fear especially that when we get all our forces to the other side of the Euphrates and Tigris that Saddam will blow the bridges behind us and let loose with NBC weapons - in particular nuclear.

My fear as well. Though, if he does this, all bets are off. I would also have to believe that we would be attempting to disarm any explosives on the bridges once we crossed them as well as providing air cover for those on escape routes.

I do fear that he will unleash a final, desperate, attck of some sort of WMD. How and when ins the question. With their insane belief in martyrdom, our leaders have to see this as a likely act.

[dennisw]

Yup.... There's good stuff here for the discriminating consumer.