Either that or(perhaps in addition) the Iraqis have a more sophisticated intelligence apparatus than we think they do. Very relatively speaking, yes, they are barbaric. But Iraq is not Afghanistan--it is nothing like it. It is a sophisticated country that used to have sophisticated weaponry. Its citizens are, for the most part, well educated. Many were reduced to poverty and ignorance under the dictatorship.
Maybe they need to look at tactics from centuries ago to make this thing work. The Romans had a culture of death, a matter-of-fact cruelty, and absolute obedience to end recalcitrance. We can't be Romans. We can be better versed on the historical tactics of warfare from the barbarians' views and stop thinking in conventional terms. I'm appalled at the carelessness. And this type of demoralizing murder plays well in the streets. I suppose the relentless march that we do is the best way, and actually that is quite Roman.
I agree with you that the military brass could do better. But I think there has to be a very new strategy--as I think you started to point out. This is a very new kind of situation that calls for a strategy appropriate to the mess we're in. The brass are going to have to be a lot more creative. Maybe this demands a strategy never before tried--though I'm no military expert and have no idea how to go about such a thing. But I do wonder why we didn't put together some substantial covert operations before launching such conventional war, and I don't mean the special ops that preceded the war by some months; I mean something very long-term. Maybe that was done and we don't know it, but such a thing might have been interesting to try.
If only the critics would SHUT UP and stop giving these people a reason to hope that we will cut and run.
There's no way we're going to cut and run; there's no way we could now. It would be nice to have some help from more nations though.
On the other hand...these miserable people are reduced to concrete and donkey carts.
Yes they are. And yes, they are miserable, in more ways than one (as you seem to suggest). Your post is very thought provoking.
God only knows what those soldiers were doing. Maybe you are right and the brass were careless, thinking that Mosul was secure and safe.
We have to be realistic here. We have removed a dictator, but we have bombed, shot up, and occupied a country. Our military brass are living in the palace of the former dictator. We have selected a council to govern that country. Some people in that country, if not most, are going to be VERY pissed off. I think that to deny this view is to be very naive. (I am not suggesting that you don't realize this.) But I wonder if some people just don't understand what is going on.