They were needed. Because they didn't come in from the north, the northern nuts were disrupted rather than separated out and killed. As it was their going all the way around allowed them to be used to fake out the Iraqi Army and to gain a tactical surprise.
You are right..and I didn't say it the way I meant.
The fact that they couldn't come from the north DID harm us in the aftermath of the taking of Baghdad by NOT having done what you said.
What I meant was that I don't know that the 5th ID (which I think are the ones rerouted) even had gotten up with them by they time they "took" Baghdad.
You are very right about them being needed...but, that wasn't Rummy's fault.
In fact, if IIRC...John Murtha recently said he was in Turkey about that time...and was asked to get the Turkish government to let our troops just travel through Turkey....and he FAILED his mission.