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America's Stunning Victory-(Modern Day Blitzkrieg and the M1-Abrams)
Global Analysis ^ | April 3, 2003 | JR Nyquist

Posted on 04/03/2003 4:37:12 PM PST by JudgeAmint

"America's Stunning Victory"
by J. R. Nyquist

 

It is now apparent that Iraq is on the verge of defeat. The threat to U.S. lines of communications has been countered. Any delays to America’s forward advance were therefore insignificant. At the same time, Iraqi forces were unable to launch an effective counterattack. As these words are written, Iraq’s best divisions are being shredded, the Iraqi people are turning against the regime of Saddam Hussein, and the prospect of a sudden Iraqi collapse is before us.

If Saddam’s army collapses or surrenders in the next two or three weeks the war will be nothing short of a blitzkrieg operation. The word “blitzkrieg” is German for lightning war. Instead of fighting for many months or years to defeat a country, lightning warfare collapses a country in a matter of weeks. This method of warfare is chiefly attributed to two British military theorists, J.F.C. Fuller and B.H. Liddell Hart. In describing the application of the blitzkrieg technique against Poland in World War II, Fuller explained: “German armoured tactics were based on speed more so than on firepower, for their object was to accelerate confusion.” This passage helps us to understand why British and American troops were ordered to advance rapidly into the very heart of Iraq. The object was, as Fuller stated, “to accelerate confusion.” Fuller also noted that “points of resistance, fortified areas, anti-tank positions, woods and villages were normally avoided, and the lines of least resistance leading to the enemy’s rear were sought out.” This is exactly what U.S. and British forces have done in Iraq. And just as this technique worked in the Second World War, it works today.

The speed of the coalition advance, the massive bombing campaign and the direct strike at the dictator himself, accelerated Iraqi confusion as allied forces bypassed fortifications and heavily defended urban areas. In 1939 the German forces collapsed Poland in 27 days. The coalition timetable in Iraq appears to be of similar length. What is astonishing is the small size of the invading forces in the Iraq operation. We are now seeing the effectiveness of real-time battle management. In the divisional engagements now taking place we see that Iraqi forces cannot react or coordinate their moves in a timely fashion. This is not only due to bombing, but is also due to rapid U.S. troop movements. Consequently, the Third Infantry and First Marine divisions are picking apart the Republican Guard divisions in front of Baghdad.

The American operational method differs from the German blitzkrieg in the incredible precision of America’s firepower. United States forces now combine firepower superiority with high maneuverability. Add to this the real-time management of friendly forces that gives U.S. troops a rare invulnerability. We are seeing this demonstrated before our eyes. The only way to cope with this kind of advantage is to use weapons of mass destruction, including electromagnetic (EMP) warheads, to disrupt America’s decisive command-and-control advantage and to counter America’s firepower advantage. It is safe to say that the Iraqi position has deteriorated to such an extent that a coalition victory can only be disrupted if Iraq uses biological, chemical or atomic weapons. Even in that event, it is probable that such attacks would be self-defeating for the Iraqi regime, both morally and militarily.

It was recently acknowledged that the Pentagon planned a 30 day operation against Saddam Hussein. Despite the disruption of this plan by Turkey’s refusal to allow the Fourth Infantry Division to pass through Turkish territory and attack from the north, the operation will probably be accomplished within the allotted 30 days. Those in the media who erroneously allege that U.S. officials promised victory in hours or days have been lying, and their ulterior motives deserve closer scrutiny. Such reports reveal a sour impulse to portray victories as defeats and rapid advances as “setbacks.” Politically distorted persons, some of them military professionals, have mischaracterized this campaign in a way that is unfair to the Bush administration and the Pentagon. Retired U.S. Gen. Wesley Clark recently suggested that a quick coalition victory is “not going to happen.” Former U.N. weapons inspector Scott Ritter told a Lisbon radio interviewer on Tuesday, “The U.S. is going to leave Iraq with its tail between its legs, defeated. It is a war we cannot win.”

Those who oppose the war out of ideological hatred, who are eager to gloat over an American defeat, have dug a pit for themselves. When this war is over, who will want to be associated with the wrongheaded claims of those who secretly looked forward to America’s defeat? Evidence of Iraqi duplicity and the horror of Saddam’s terror regime will be proved. For those too lazy to read the documentary evidence before the war, there will be pictures and eyewitness testimonials broadcast on television in the aftermath. Of course, persons animated by anti-American ideology will cling to their bitter rhetoric; but these will be separated from sane opinion by a clear and ever-widening divide.

Through all of this, America’s real enemies have learned an important lesson: namely, that U.S. military power can only be effectively opposed by employing mass destruction weapons at the outset of a conflict. If U.S. power is to be overthrown in the world, that overthrow must rely upon nuclear, biological and chemical munitions. Only an attack that destroys U.S. conventional military advantages is workable, and this attack must be overwhelming. In order to work effectively a mass destruction attack must decapitate the U.S. leadership. It must cripple the U.S. economy and paralyze the American military. Anything short of this merely invites destruction in turn. The same lesson can be drawn from the terror attacks of Sept. 11. As destructive as the attacks were, the United States is a huge country with nearly 290 million people. Killing 3,000 persons and destroying two large buildings only served to stir the sleeping giant into action.

Ironically, those in Iraq and Afghanistan who celebrated Sept. 11 as a victory are now stewing in defeat. This is the fruit of Sept. 11. Instead of stimulating an Islamic holy war against the West, the United States will have effectively eliminated two hostile regimes. We may shortly learn that both Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein are dead. The lesson of these actions will not be missed in Tehran, Damascus, Pyongyang or Beijing. Dictatorships suffer from intrinsic weaknesses. They are economically brittle, technologically backward and administratively challenged. It cannot be repeated too often that the weapons of choice for such regimes must therefore be nuclear, chemical and biological. Only by leveling the playing field with such weapons do the inferior states of the totalitarian periphery stand a chance against American technological and administrative vitality.

The Soviet theorists of the 1960s were correct when they wrote: “Strategic missile troops will be the basic troops of modern massive armed forces. They are the decisive force at the disposal of supreme commands.” If you cannot win with conventional forces, if you are thoroughly outclassed on the battlefield, you must turn to the great equalizer. What the United States must do now, in the wake of its victory in Iraq, is anticipate the anti-American coalition’s intensification of WMD proliferation. This will be their response to America’s victory. Since this is a potentially effective strategy, the United States must solidify its defenses against such weapons.


© 2003 Jeffrey R. Nyquist
April 2, 2003


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: abramstanks; blitzkrieg; groundassault; iraqifreedom; middleeastconflict; miltech; troopmovement
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1 posted on 04/03/2003 4:37:12 PM PST by JudgeAmint
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To: MizSterious
Ping
2 posted on 04/03/2003 4:37:36 PM PST by JudgeAmint (from DA Judge!!)
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To: JudgeAmint
Beautiful pictures!

Unfortunately, Secretary Rumsfeld's brain trust and the current Army leadership seem to think the M-1 is obsolete, a relic of the past. I wonder if the Iraq campaign will change any minds?

3 posted on 04/03/2003 4:40:43 PM PST by colorado tanker
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To: JudgeAmint
It's scares me when media outlets are declaring this war a VICTORY already when the toughest job is yet around the corner!! It' ain't over TIL it's over!! The FAT LADY HASN'T SONG YET! Still praying for the OUTCOME of victory!! God bless our troops and president!!
4 posted on 04/03/2003 4:42:12 PM PST by RoseofTexas
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To: spectre

speclogo.gif (12972 bytes)

Spectre...in addition to the Abrams, the AC-130 have held their own as well!!

Related Photo

5 posted on 04/03/2003 4:42:37 PM PST by JudgeAmint (from DA Judge!!)
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To: WorkingClassFilth
Thought you might find this interesting.
6 posted on 04/03/2003 4:49:14 PM PST by Dead Dog
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To: JudgeAmint
I suggested in a post (later moved to chat) that the Invasion should be called Operation Desert Blitzkrieg.
7 posted on 04/03/2003 4:49:56 PM PST by Mister Magoo
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To: JudgeAmint
"Those in the media who erroneously allege that U.S. officials promised victory in hours or days have been lying, and their ulterior motives deserve closer scrutiny. "
8 posted on 04/03/2003 4:50:24 PM PST by blam
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To: JudgeAmint
But...but...how can this be? We're in a quagmire! Nothing's going right! We're all gonna dieeeeeeeee! The Media said so, dammit!
9 posted on 04/03/2003 4:51:52 PM PST by Slings and Arrows (Jack Russell Terriers: G-d's way of telling you "Your lawn is too nice.")
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To: JudgeAmint
Fools request that OTHER FOOLS believe their lies. We see before our very eyes that Jessica Lynch is freed from the torture and humiliation (?) that she endured. God DOES empower HIS warriors..IRAQ is the worldly personification of satan. Kill this WORM (Sadamn is DEAD) and then kill the NEXT worm. I apologize...my emotions overpower me..MAY GOD BLESS AMERICA...and MAY GOD BLESS PRESIDENT BUSH...if I get to make a personal request...THANK YOU Jessica Lynch!...we love you...you are an AMERICAN HERO! Get well soon.

-TheJollyRoger
10 posted on 04/03/2003 4:54:27 PM PST by TheJollyRoger ("Home of the BRAVE"...IRAQ demonstrates weakness...bomb them, bomb them, bomb them)
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To: JudgeAmint
An Abrams'll give you an edge!
11 posted on 04/03/2003 4:54:38 PM PST by Dionysius
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To: JudgeAmint
The Soviet theorists of the 1960s were correct when they wrote: “Strategic missile troops will be the basic troops of modern massive armed forces. They are the decisive force at the disposal of supreme commands.” If you cannot win with conventional forces, if you are thoroughly outclassed on the battlefield, you must turn to the great equalizer. What the United States must do now, in the wake of its victory in Iraq, is anticipate the anti-American coalition’s intensification of WMD proliferation. This will be their response to America’s victory. Since this is a potentially effective strategy, the United States must solidify its defenses against such weapons.

This would seem to parallel statements made by several folks on FR concerning initial use of WMD against the US.

12 posted on 04/03/2003 4:58:14 PM PST by Fury
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To: Slings and Arrows
And ... Ms. Pelosi said 1000 of our soldiers were going to die. I don't know how she knew that ...??
13 posted on 04/03/2003 4:58:51 PM PST by CyberAnt
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To: Mister Magoo
This is faster than Blitzkrieg. Can one speak of Ueberblitzkrieg?
14 posted on 04/03/2003 4:59:49 PM PST by aristeides
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To: colorado tanker
Actually, it will go the other way. If this campaign showed us anything, it is that even the CURRENT M1s (note that the most upgraded versions with the 4th ID didn't even see battle yet) are plenty sophisticated to defeat any foe. What we need is better airlift and transport for what we have.

If I were Sec Def, and had limited resources, I wouldn't build additional tanks, but instead would build additional air/sealift to deliver the tanks we have to ANY battlefield, Turkey or no.

15 posted on 04/03/2003 5:02:18 PM PST by LS
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To: colorado tanker
Unfortunately, Secretary Rumsfeld's brain trust and the current Army leadership seem to think the M-1 is obsolete, a relic of the past. I wonder if the Iraq campaign will change any minds?

Rumsfeld wants to develop the next generation of vehicles to replace traditional tanks with gun turrets. Rumsfeld want to pay for the new generation by doing away with the program to convert original M1 tanks to M1A2's. Supposedly they will use missles rather than guns, and have a longer range. The weight savings by eliminating the turret will allow them to be tranported with fewer aircraft and ships. Also the new armored vehicles will be able to fire their weapons even more quickly than the current M1A1; this is due to elimination of the time it takes the turret to rotate.

16 posted on 04/03/2003 5:03:52 PM PST by Paleo Conservative (Time to bomb Saddam!)
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To: colorado tanker
"the current Army leadership seem to think the M-1 is obsolete, a relic of the past. "

Perhaps they have something better up their sleves? ;-)

It is a gas guzzeler, and needs better rear protection.

If the M-2 comes along and can solve those problems
it should be untouchable.

Gulf I saved the Warthog, perhaps Gulf II will save the
Abrams.

But will we need it? With hunter-killer missiles currently
under development, we might be able to do with fewer tanks.
Remember that the Battleship was expected to dominate WWII's naval battles. Maybe a faster stronger Bradly controlling an armada of long-loitering hunter-killer cruise missiles will win the next war.

I for one am glad our Military is not always preparing to fight the Previous war.
17 posted on 04/03/2003 5:05:24 PM PST by konaice
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To: HalfFull; OldDominion
Ping.
18 posted on 04/03/2003 5:05:47 PM PST by Al B.
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To: LS
If I were Sec Def, and had limited resources, I wouldn't build additional tanks, but instead would build additional air/sealift to deliver the tanks we have to ANY battlefield, Turkey or no.

Amen, brother! That's a much better idea than trying to build cracker box armored cars to fit on C-130's. Any ideas how long a Stryker armored car, which a .50 cal can pierce, would last on a battlefield infested with RPG's and Kornet's???

19 posted on 04/03/2003 5:07:36 PM PST by colorado tanker
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To: colorado tanker
Now wait: I didn't say I wouldn't build those, too. We definitely need a force mixture. That is NOT the tank-heavy brigades that the Gulf War generals watned, but we can't go all light, nor can we ignore transport.

The best force is a balanced force. But those LAVs with the Marines sure don't seem to have much trouble, and you have to admit that right now, the threat from Iraqi tanks is virtually nonexistent.

20 posted on 04/03/2003 5:11:04 PM PST by LS
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