Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

IRAQ: Why Operation Thunder Was Announced in Advance
Strategy Page ^ | May 27, 2005

Posted on 05/29/2005 12:09:43 PM PDT by John Jorsett

The government has announced Operation Thunder, a major military operation to take place starting on Monday, the 30th. It seems strange that Coalition and Iraqi commanders have announced that next week they're going to begin a major cordon and search operation in Baghdad involving 40,000 troops and security personnel. Announcing such an operation in advance can only alert the enemy. Perhaps something else is afoot? Could the Iraqi and Coalition commanders be running an psychological warfare operation on the terrorists?

Knowing that they're about to be the target of such a massive operation, may prompt the terrorists to break cover in order to concentrate in stronger defensive positions, and perhaps also to shift additional fighters into Baghdad. In addition, it would seem reasonable for them to attempt to move critical personnel out of the city. All of this activity would make the terrorists more visible, and thus more vulnerable

So perhaps publicizing "Operation Thunder" was a deliberate attempt to provoke hasty action by the terrorists? Then again, with the corruption rampant in Iraq, it’s known that many people in the government and security forces are also on the Baath Party payroll, and report upcoming military operations, and anything else that might get them a bonus from the bad guys. So making a public announcement eliminates some of the security problems.

The war with the Baath Party and al Qaeda is reaching something of a crescendo, with there being an average of four car bombings a day for the last month, mostly against civilians. At the same time, the attacks against coalition and government targets have declined. The number of police patrols and raids are on the increase as well. "Operation Thunder" is an example of this, an undertaking that involves sealing off Baghdad with over 600 checkpoints and launching hundreds of raids against suspected terrorist locations.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: gwot; iraq; oif; operationthunder

1 posted on 05/29/2005 12:09:44 PM PDT by John Jorsett
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: John Jorsett

Put it this way, the miltiary is not telling us the whole truth, and rightly so. I thought they wouldn't.


2 posted on 05/29/2005 12:13:54 PM PDT by USAfearsnobody
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: John Jorsett
Curt LeMay was known to drop leaflets over cities high on the target list saying, generally:

"Today, we Americans come over your city with only one B-29, dropping leaflets. Tomorrow night, 300 of our Glorious Invincible Bombers will be back to reduce your city to ashes. Your Emperor's Air Force will try to stop us. Watch how abysmally they fail. Ta Ta For Now."

And the next night they came back and burned the city to the ground.

The plan might be something like that.

3 posted on 05/29/2005 12:17:22 PM PDT by DuncanWaring (The Lord uses the good ones; the bad ones use the Lord.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: John Jorsett

I wondered what was really going on. Announcing this operation in advance would seem self-defeating.


4 posted on 05/29/2005 12:18:48 PM PDT by hershey
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DuncanWaring

where is old LeMay when we need him?.....


5 posted on 05/29/2005 12:21:04 PM PDT by injin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: John Jorsett

Old trick to detect leaks: give direct orders down the chain of command - the same basic instructions to everyone, but change one or two keywords. Use the word "guns" in one version, and "rifles" in another. Or change locations slightly- specify only "H Steet" vs "H and West streets".

Where ever you see action appear, you've found your leak. (Businesses often do this these days...)


6 posted on 05/29/2005 12:24:38 PM PDT by SteveMcKing
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: injin

Probably the same place Patton, MacArthur and Nimitz are.


7 posted on 05/29/2005 12:35:39 PM PDT by DuncanWaring (The Lord uses the good ones; the bad ones use the Lord.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: John Jorsett

Terrorists tried to raid a police station today and the Iraqi's were waiting for them.


8 posted on 05/29/2005 12:36:34 PM PDT by Semper Paratus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: hershey

i would not think so. they gonna get some well deserved lead medicine. I would love to see the video
Best hopes to the guys who spray the lead.. Be Safe!!


9 posted on 05/29/2005 12:40:00 PM PDT by Twist_T (ever see a east indian cab driver selling crack? ............ only in winnipeg)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: DuncanWaring

Curtis LeMay knew that the Japanese people were not our enemy rather the Japanese Government was the enemy, and the Japanese people were caught in the middle. That gave some of the Japanese people a chance to get away, and the refugees would disrupt war production in other cities.

It is fairly well known now that the Japanese diplomatic codes were well penetrated during WWII. We knew that the Japanese Government intended to fight till they had killed 1 million US soldiers, and they expected to lose 30 million in that effort. It was a good thing that the US found a different way of breaking their will.


10 posted on 05/29/2005 12:51:06 PM PDT by Donald Meaker (i)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: SteveMcKing

Yes, that is the old "canary trap".


11 posted on 05/29/2005 12:51:52 PM PDT by Donald Meaker (i)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Donald Meaker
It was a good thing that the US found a different way of breaking their will.

Good for us.

Even better for the Japanese.

12 posted on 05/29/2005 1:35:45 PM PDT by DuncanWaring (The Lord uses the good ones; the bad ones use the Lord.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson