The "fall of Baghdad"

6/12/2014 | ChocChipCookie

[ChocChipCookie]

There's something I've been wondering about whenever I hear of rebels or insurgents or whatever, "taking over a city."

How do these people, "take over a city"? I'm trying to picture tanks or troops coming down I-45...and then what? What do they do to gain control of an entire city?

I live in a fairly big city and have been wondering about the sequence of events for something like this to happen.

Your input?

[Nita Nupress]

Intimidation has a lot to do with it, I would imagine.

http://patdollard.com/2014/06/watch-graphic-horror-in-iraqi-roads-al-qaeda-killing-without-mercy/

Warning: it’s really graphic. Which was their point, I suppose.

[gaijin]

Take-over city hall, all key intersections, broadcast media stations, police stations.

Announce curfew.

Arrest Mayor, make him broadcast an acknowledgement of the power transition, then disappear him.

Replace police commanders, keep patrol officers & give them a totally new set of orders.

Issue new ID’s to citizens, assign Block Captain roles to “new patriots”.

[ExTexasRedhead]

Obama’s Vietnam, the redo.

[Rodamala]

If you step outside your home, they will cut your head off. They control movement, water, food, and general policing and “control” of the masses.

Kinda like post-Katrina New Orleans... or post Marathon Bombing Boston.

[Rodamala]

In America I think it would be a simple matter of going directly to the schools and seizing control of the kids.

Already in place.

[bubbacluck]

This does have the feel of the last days of South Vietnam.

[familyop]

"Even armed citizens will be this fearful?"

Yes. The most important training consists of activities without using a weapon--activities that cleanse a mind of emotions (e.g., absolute humility to be rid of pride, see drill sergeants) and distractions while training the body to extreme endurance.

An ancient Asian described it pretty well: a mind that is as calm as the surface of a still pond (during a fight). Focus without distraction is extremely important. No hate, no rage,...nothing. So, mind like pond water, body not like pond water. Heh.

Even some fire-and-maneuver courses require extreme endurance for success (e.g., not being hit in a sensor), and those are nothing nearly as exhausting as intense combat. Moving fast, often and in ways that are very uncomfortable for civilians is very important.

[familyop]

"Like this: What is your profession..? "

That's true in regards to perfecting skills, but movies convey much vanity. A soldier can be trained initially very well for focus and fitness within a little over three months and can be more useful upon graduation than one who has long been in a lax home unit.

In other words, the tradesmen depicted in the video could have done very well, if they'd undergone an intensive, round the clock initial training and continued to develop skills and attitudes (analytical and focused) in training sessions along the way.

An ancient Roman leader once said that soldiers fresh out of well done initial training, with no combat experience, will experience a first battle as nothing more than a bloody exercise.

[rwoodward]

A well armed society makes a huge difference.
And who is behind those guns of course.

[Domangart]

They find the nearest Shia and cut off his head. Do that enough and you have an empty city.

[familyop]

This is how the ISIS guerrillas train for urban warfare, although much of the essence of combat training for anyone (on any side) is not conveyed in videos.

ISIS Jihad Training Program | Islamic State of Iraq & Sham | الدولة الإسلامية في العراق والشام
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bs7ogaoqYaQ

[Olog-hai]

There seems to be differing opinion on that subject, even in Asia. Sun Tzu said that “in order to kill the enemy, our men must be roused to anger” (Art of War II:16), so super-cool heads during a fight seem to be limited to certain types of activity. The same general was also adamant about being kind to captured enemy soldiers.

[ravenwolf]

They took over Amerika with out firing a shot.

[ExTexasRedhead]

Obama’s Vietnam!

[ChocChipCookie]

Thanks so much for your input. I used some of your points in a podcast for next week.