Focus on 'Battle of Basra' Misses Key Points

STRATFOR ^ | Mar 22, 2003 | Staff

[finnman69]

I dont think those B-52s are going to Baghdad.....

[RightWhale]

Stratfor is making sense today. They have probably been keeping up with FR.

[over3Owithabrain]

Basra may be important in one sense - finding evidence of chemical or other WMD's.
The sooner we start displaying that kind of stuff for the world to see, the better things are politically.

[AFPhys]

Uhhh, Basra is important... coalition has yet to take it, I think that is telling... they are taking it so slowly... It's a legit question that should not be minimized.

BS

BTW - which War College did you graduate from?

[AFPhys]

...finding evidence of chemical or other WMD's.

The sooner we start displaying that kind of stuff for the world...

I could be wrong, but I predict that it will be some time before we are able to display Chem and Bio weaponry. We are going to have to locate weapons scientists and technicians so they can tell us where they are hidden, and then we will have to carefully investigate the area. In fact, we may have a certain amount of excavation to do in order to reach the goodies, if our intel has accurately pinpointed bomb targets.

[Travis McGee]

You are dead wrong, and very naive. Basra IS an island today, for all intents and purposes. An Iraqi military unit can no more break out of it and threaten coalition forces elsewhere than Japanese could swim from island to island.

Remember the "Highway of Death?"

[stainlessbanner]

some reporter kept harping about....

I think Gen. Franks, in his press release yesterday, shut down alot of these reporters who think they are smarter than our top military analysts. I am growing weary of those "white-polo" reporters who assume they know military affairs.

[SengirV]

BTW - which War College did you graduate from?

Looks like I am more correct than you could have imagined. With NEW attacks coming in towns that we have "Liberated", and free roaming groups of hostiles, it appears that the island hop is NOT going to work here. A couple of mechs take a wrong tern and they meet Iraqi forces that have been "hopped" over. I'd like for you to be the one to tell their families "We blew past those hostiles so we can break Patton's record. Sorry about your dead family member, but we set a record."

I'm not down on the military or anything like that. But it appears that the soldiers in control take your(plural intended for all those bashing my post) position on allowing hostiles free in the rear. I think that is a bad idea. It makes me wonder if the soldier's welfare is more important or the stock markets(better have this wrapped up in under a week)