Special Ops steal show as successes mount in Iraq

The Washington Times ^ | April 7, 2003 | Rowan Scarborough

[legman]

When Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld received briefings on different options for the Iraq war plan, he repeatedly sought a larger role for Special Operations. He got his wish. Top Stories • U.S. soldiers cut off Baghdad • Peace plan for Iraq after liberation • Port pushes to keep pace with troops' progress • GIs sneak water to thirsty Iraqis • NEA challenged on political outlays • Terrorists said to seek entry to U.S. via Mexico

In the war's first week, more than 10,000 Special Operations forces took part in covert and overt missions. They seized airfields, spread propaganda leaflets, hunted down Ba'ath Party leaders and, last week, rescued an Army private from the clutches of Fedayeen Saddam fanatics. A U.S. official with direct knowledge of war planning said Mr. Rumsfeld repeatedly voiced concern that the strategy devised by Central Command did not make sufficient use of commandos. "This war plan has Rumsfeld's imprint all over it," the official said. "Without Rumsfeld you would not see all these things that Special Operations are doing." The commando force today exceeds the 6,000 deployed for Afghanistan in 2001, which then represented Special Operations' largest war role since Vietnam. "They are more extensive in this campaign than any I have seen," said Army Maj. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the Pentagon's military spokesman for this war. "Probably, as a percentage of effort, they are unprecedented for a war that also has a conventional part to it." Night-vision military cameras captured the daring rescue last week of Army Pfc. Jessica Lynch, and the raid on Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's lakeside vacation palace north of Baghdad. But Special Operations forces — Navy SEALs, Army Delta Force, Rangers and Special Forces — also are conducting a secret war filled with high-risk missions.

[legman]

This is how Rumsfeld made fools of the skeptical military "experts."

[RippleFire]

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[w_over_w]

[Enterprise]

Q: What goes through the mind of Saddam's beastie boys at night?

A: A round from the rifle of a special ops sniper.

[TADSLOS]

"We are transforming that command to meet that need."

LOL! Translation: SOCOM gets priority billing and funding. This is just tearing the hearts out of the staunch old guard of conventional traditionalists in the Army. There was a serious move by the traditional combat arms branches to deep six Special Forces back in the early 70s through early 80s. It's a good thing they didn't succeed.

[DainBramage]

Not to mention, since the Somalia monkey fist, these guys needed this chance to

show what they could do when used correctly, and supported by Washington.

Good for them!

[KriegerGeist]

I hope we increase the numbers of these Special Forces guys. They have really saved a lot of our bacon I believe.
The old saying: "don't mess with success" applies here. And this saying should be changed from: "if it works, don't fix it" to "if it works, make more"

Research & Develop better high-tech equipment and training for these guys to me even more efficient, more silent and deadly...and more safe with newer, lighter bullet proof armor. Perhaps, even some high-tech "ninja' type anti-detection / anti-capture gizmos.

We need more of these guys now more than ever before. Our enemies are increasing (not in Iraq) in a half dozen countries at least. Who better to sneak in and take out the threats before they get us?

[Servant of the Nine]

It was a fortunate war for them.
The infamous "Black Beret" debacle was a first step in a calculated plan to turn first Rangers and then other Special Ops into ordinary soldiers by removing all distinctions from them.

So9

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

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