IRAQ - Special Operations Chief Describes Vast Scope

NewYorkTimes ^ | 7.28.2003 | THOM SHANKER

[swarthyguy]

MacDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. — Brig. Gen. Gary L. Harrell, commander of Special Operations missions for the war in Iraq, sat in an office whose interior design favors hand-tooled tomahawks and recalled the day he ordered a dozen Green Berets and a small band of Kurdish fighters to take on a division of Iraqi Army troops.

It was in northern Iraq, during the hottest days of ground combat, and American commanders were improvising on a war plan that had called for the Fourth Infantry Division to attack from Turkey — an option vetoed by the government in Ankara. On that day, commanders feared that Iraqi divisions in the north, threatened by no large American force, would swing back toward Baghdad and add their firepower to Iraqi defenders facing the American and British forces' mechanized assault coming up from Kuwait.

Army Special Forces, the Green Berets, had slipped into northern Iraq and hooked up with Kurdish fighters, known as pesh merga.

"One of our missions was to try to do everything we could to keep those Iraqi divisions in place, to keep them out of the war in the south," General Harrell said during a rare interview at his headquarters here. "One day, we were against some of the Iraqi forces.

"I said, `Send one of the O.D.A.'s down to hit this force,' " he added, using the military's abbreviation for Operational Detachment-Alpha, more commonly known as a Green Beret "A Team."

His military intelligence officer looked at the map and said to him, "Boss, you know that icon is an enemy division," the general recalled. "I said, `Yeah, I know. But they're having pretty good success.' "

That success, he said, was achieved by leveraging the power of Special Operations forces maneuvering covertly on the ground with close-air support.

"It's pretty easy to take on these large numbers of enemy forces when you've got an aircraft carrier in direct support of an O.D.A.," he said. "Now an O.D.A. is 12 men. So 12 guys and some pesh merga took on a division — and moved it."

But the Special Operations war was not simply combat by laser range finder guiding bombs and missiles to distant enemy targets.

In one attack, the general said, Special Forces soldiers destroyed at least three Iraqi T-55 tanks that had closed to within 200 yards. Some of the fighting was almost hand to hand, so tight that a number of Iraqi soldiers were killed by shotgun blasts.

General Harrell, who served with secret commando forces during the first Persian Gulf war and was a major participant in the "Black Hawk Down" battle in Mogadishu, Somalia, in 1993, described the precedent-setting scope of the Special Operations war in Iraq under his command. "I have characterized it as the largest since World War II," he said. "In actuality, I suspect it's probably the largest one we've ever done."

He declined to give specific numbers for troops committed to the Special Operations war in Iraq. At the Pentagon, though, military officials have said more than 10,000 members from Special Operations units were committed to the conflict.

General Harrell said large numbers of conventional ground troops from the Army and the Marine Corps were also assigned to the Special Operations war.

Even before the ground war against Iraq officially began with the assault out of Kuwait, allied Special Operations forces secretly entered Iraq's western desert, destroying fortified border observation posts.

But not every one of them.

"We did engage some observation posts," said the general, an army officer whose title is commander, Special Operations Command, for the military's Central Command. "But all of them weren't taken out. Sometimes it's good to have somebody carry your message back, or call it back."

It was a case of combining direct and intensely violent military action — attacking Iraqi border positions to blind Iraq's forces to the American and British forces' entry from the west — with an important information operation. By making certain that some Iraqi troops along the western front lived to report back to headquarters, American commanders hoped to rattle Baghdad.

The Special Operations forces occupied vast swaths of Iraq, General Harrell said, which limited the Baghdad government's ability to maneuver its army, to carry out counter-attacks or to launch missiles at American and British forces or regional allies, including Israel.

Even so, despite the dangerous missions assigned to Special Operations forces from the Army, Navy and Air Force and the intense combat, not a single one of their lives was lost to hostile fire, he said.

[swarthyguy]

At the Pentagon, though, military officials have said more than 10,000 members from Special Operations units were committed to the conflict.

[Travis McGee]

I can't wait until the history of the SOF contribution to this war is written!

[CholeraJoe]

General Harrell, who served with secret commando forces during the first Persian Gulf war and was a major participant in the "Black Hawk Down" battle in Mogadishu, Somalia, in 1993

Somehow, I don't think I'd brag about the last one.

[Squantos]

Don't know if we "should" every see such as the asymmetrical warfare we see these days needs to have a series of effective countermeasures from our Spec Ops community that stays a secret as long as possible, forever or till no longer effective. I know it won't happen ........just my opinion of course. Would be a great read though.

Stay Safe !

[Travis McGee]

I expect that lots of soldiers who get out will write tell-alls to make a buck. It's true though, that our best tricks will be compromised in this manner. Of course, so much silly garbage is written about this stuff (Tom Clancy, call your office) that it's hard for the bad guys to know what to believe.

[BOBTHENAILER]

It's pretty easy to take on these large numbers of enemy forces when you've got an aircraft carrier in direct support of an O.D.A.," he said. "Now an O.D.A. is 12 men. So 12 guys and some pesh merga took on a division — and moved it."

Just incredible.

I can't wait until the history of the SOF contribution to this war is written!

It is going to be some of the most amazing military reading for a long time to come.

[Travis McGee]

I just hope we can keep some things secret in case we need them in N. Korea, Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia etc.

[BOBTHENAILER]

just hope we can keep some things secret in case we need them in N. Korea, Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia etc.

No doubt we should, however, we may see solutions to those "thorns in our side countries" before the definitive narrative of special forces usage in Iraq is ever written.

[swarthyguy]

Well, I hope the boys are enjoying some new assignments in the Tragic Kingdom after some R&R.

Where's Robin Moore been for the past year anyway?

[RoughDobermann]

Somehow, I don't think I'd brag about the last one.

Oh? Why is that?

[CholeraJoe]

It was a clusterf**k
We got our butts kicked.
We left the country with our tails between our legs

Ever hear anybody brag about Desert One?

[RoughDobermann]

It was a clusterf**k
We got our butts kicked.
We left the country with our tails between our legs

Would you agree that the above were caused by politicians' failures, and not the failures of our fighting men?

[CholeraJoe]

Would you agree that the above were caused by politicians' failures, and not the failures of our fighting men?

Only in part. Politicians didn't plan the raid, politicians didn't fail to anticipate that UH-60s could be brought down by RPGs, and politicians didn't send light infantry in unarmored vehicles into a city teeming with armed citizens.

[RoughDobermann]

and politicians didn't send light infantry in unarmored vehicles into a city teeming with armed citizens.

No, they sure didn't. Les Aspin denied the request from Gen. Montgomery, remember?

[SLB]

I work with a veteran of a portion of the battle in Mogadishu, Somalia, in 1993. He monitored the radio traffic at higher levels, but was in country. Said it was pathetic to hear the White House trying to control the firefight as it was in progress.

[Squantos]

Bubbafucco version of Playstation........Stay Safe !

[Spruce]

...12 guys and some pesh merga took on a division...
That is Kicking some ASS. Beautiful!

[Jimmy Valentine's brother]

Doubt if Harrel was much above major in Somalia. Otherwise he would not have been a major particpant in the battle. I do agree that there was a lot of hubris and lack of respect for the enemy. I believe some stars should have been put on the table prior to giving the order to move out.

[Grampa Dave]

The history of our SOF in this recent Iraqi war, combined with our Air Force, Naval Wings and Army air will not only make history.

They will change the face of American Warfare/tactics for the better part of this century.

This is why so many old line generals/admirals hate Rummy so much. Rummy refuses to fight a war in this century using the tactics and use of manpower of WWII!