IRAQI DECEPTION CLOUDS STRATEGY

The Mercury News ^ | Sunday, Mar 30, 2003 | By Joseph L. Galloway

[demlosers]

WASHINGTON - Coalition commander Gen. Tommy Franks won't begin his ground attack against the Republican Guard divisions on the outskirts of Baghdad until U.S. air power has whittled Saddam Hussein's front-line units down to less than half-strength. The trouble is that it may be hard to know when or whether that goal has been reached.

[Orlando]

This is why it's SUPER inportant tosurround the city FIRST !
Cut there fuel supply, AMMO supply from Syria,USE the psy-ops& PR ops more. Once we totaly surround the city and cut there re-supply of Fuel, Ammo, Fighters coming from Syria.
We set-up base camps around area for increase Spec-Ops operations into the city, and get more POWs for intel's.
I suggest we start telling the peoplein Iraq & Baghdad that
SADDAM is DEAD, and to rasie up against the remaining RATS!

[meenie]

Your suggestions are good but after you surround Baghdad and cut off supplies including food, water, etc. the propaganda campaign goes to h*ll. We are a victim of our own making by stating that we will not punish civilians, in fact we will bring them food and supplies.

The outcry in Basra is being played by the press, that we are villians because we(the British)have the city sealed off and the civilians are out of food and water. Sooner or later we have to admit this is a war and any means will be taken to win it. Civilians are setting in their homes, hiding guerilla fighters, waiting for US troops to show up with their allotment of food and water to be shot and their supplies taken.

[JasonC]

Yes, we want to surround Baghdad before going in. But we are also currently surrounding or only half surrounding a lot of other places in the south. And the troops doing that are not available to surround Baghdad. What we need to do is clear out a lot of those hold out areas first, to free the troops opposite each of them. And bring in more. Then we can encircle and reduce Baghdad.

There is a reason traditional military commanders don't just hold strongpoints but also try to hold lines between those strongpoints. It lets the other guy gang up on each strongpoint in turn, with far more men and equipment, and without any prospect of reinforcement or support to those cut off in each one when its turn arrives.

The mopping up process needed to take advantage of that weakness in the Iraqi deployment scheme may take some time and will involve some fighting. But its outcome is not in doubt, if we just get on with it. When it is over, we will have many more troops available to deal with Baghdad. And because our air and artillery will be working the whole time, they will have fewer forces to met us.