I'd be glad for you to explain that.
The -plan-, it seems to me was to get the 4th ID into Turkey. That didn't happen. Now they are scrambling. Is it reasonable to give the SECDEF a free ride for his extemporizing the operation?
I don't think it is.
The mitigation I see is that they had to get rolling before the mean temperature shoots through the roof. But they are sending guys they never planned to. They figured that the Iraqis wouldn't fight. Was that a reasonable assumption? I sure thought so. But I don't have the resources the SECDEF has.
Also--- you need to make your plans based on enemy capabilities, not perceived intentions. The Pentagon seems to have ignored this pretty basic tenet of operational planning. It's not what they -will- do you have to consider, but what they -can- do.
ItWalt
I think that last weekend Rumsfield reminded reporters that they didn't know the plan, unless you are in the Pentagon you don't know it either. They were talking to the officers via e-mail and phone well before the war started trying to get them to promise to surrender right away. At least one of them did. Acting as though every officer was about to surrender probably helped this officer to decide to surrender. Right after he surrendered this type of talk stopped. IMO the talk of massive surrenders was a ruse to get a few officers to surrender. Also others around Baghdad simply have not had an opportunity to surrender. No need to spend any more time at the POW camp than you have too.