Iraqi officer reveals army chaos

bbcnews.com ^ | april-12-2003 | bbcnews/Andrew Gilligan

[green team 1999]

Iraqi officer reveals army chaos

The Republican Guard did not offer as much resistance as anticipated A colonel in Iraq's Republican Guard says he received few orders from the country's leaders during the war. Speaking from his home in a prosperous area of Baghdad, he told the BBC's Andrew Gilligan that the coalition bombardment of Iraq badly affected troop morale, with soldiers wanting to desert every day.

In one of the first insights into how the elite Republican Guard has acted during the war, he said Iraq's military leaders only agreed to fight the war in the first place because, if they had refused, they would have been killed.

The colonel, whose unit was initially placed in the desert but then withdraw to defend the Iraqi capital, deserted about a week before Baghdad was taken.

Out of contact

The colonel, who commanded a force of about 600 men, said he had initially been told to stay in his position and "hide from the bombs".

But it appears that once fighting started he was completely out of contact with Iraq's senior military leaders.

"I didn't receive any order from the beginning," he said, adding that he was told that if the airport was still open, Iraq was still in the war.

The coalition bombing sapped the morale of his soldiers - some of whom had not seen that kind of bombardment before.

"From the beginning, I think that the balance of the air power is not equal. Something hit us. The aircraft... destroyed our tanks and equipment," he said.

He said he did not force anyone to stay with the unit.

"Every day, one, two, three. Every day one, two, three. Everyone he want to go, leave his gun and go away," he said.

Speaking of the fear of Saddam Hussein he said in faltering English: "If they say to him we (do) not have power to face this army, it is not a good war, he maybe will kill him so they said 'yes' we will fight."

'Not worth it'

He revealed that Iraqi soldiers had not wanted to fight in the streets of Baghdad because it was their city and home to their families.

He added that in the Koran, God said soldiers had to win or die. "But when we see no one command us and tell us what's the planning, for what I will fight? I stay at home is better," he said.

In the end, he said, the officers gathered round a fire and decided it was not worth fighting.

The unit's troops changed into civilian clothes which they had with them, and went home.

Our correspondent says he increasingly believes Iraqi officers followed orders, but did not really want Saddam Hussein to win and so did not make any serious attempts to defend Iraq.

for information and discusion only,not for profit etc,etc.

[green team 1999]

shock & awe was working from the start,once again the media was wrong.

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[martin_fierro]

The Moral of our story: "Don't cheat and retreat on your U.S.-enforced U.N. obligations if your military is a clusterf*ck."

[The Hon. Galahad Threepwood]

The Republican Guard did not offer as much resistance as anticipated

Wait a minute. I thought they offered greater reistance than anticipated.

Well, now I'm confused.

[Skooz]

I stay at home is better," he said.

That's my philosophy concerning most of life's issues.

[knak]

"I didn't receive any order from the beginning," he said, adding that he was told that if the airport was still open, Iraq was still in the war.

strange statement

[MinuteGal]

Clap yo hands
Stomp yo feet
This was the "Elite"?
GW Bush can't be beat!

Rah! Rah!

Leni

[Focault's Pendulum]

'Not worth it'

Apparently the majority of the Iraqi military felt the same way.

[green team 1999]

what i don1t like is the way the american media was contantly challenging the us war plan,that did not work,when in fact iraqi military was headless.

[Hammerhead]

Yeh, Sean H better get his head out of his a$$ when he goes on bragging with such emphasis on how "This was the most SUCCESSFUL military campaign in history!!!!"

Hey, Sean, 99% of the Iraqi military didn't want to fight in the first place. The war was/is not a GREAT military victory. Sorry.

Wipe out the North Koreans with the same speed and low US casualties and I'll call that a great military victory.

and don't waste your time flaming me. In onboard with 99.99999999999% of the conservative opinions at this website. Just not this one.

[EternalVigilance]

"I didn't receive any order from the beginning," he said, adding that he was told that if the airport was still open, Iraq was still in the war.

Could this be why Baghdead Bob was claiming they held the airport when the whole world knew they didn't?

[Rokke]

"Wipe out the North Koreans with the same speed and low US casualties and I'll call that a great military victory."

Says the noted military genious known only as "Hammerhead"

[xJones]

But it appears that once fighting started he was completely out of contact with Iraq's senior military leaders.

Which brings us back to first base. Was Saddam badly wounded/killed the first evening, or was he so badly scared he fled somewhere else like hometown Tikrit? Quadaffi of Libya wasn't killed when Reagan ordered his home bombed, but it scared that "brave" dictator half to death. Surely at least one Iraqi official in Baghdad knows.

[RLK]

What happened in Iraq was what I have argued should have happened in Viet Nam. The Bunker bombs, if they did not pull Hussein's cork immediately, took all the fun out of it for the top guys. Had we done to Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi early on what we did to Hussein and Bagdad, Viet Nam would have ended in the very early '60s.

There are similarities and differences between Viet Nam and Iraq. In both instances we had weak presidents and a strong Secretary of Defense. The difference is, McNamara was an incompetent working for the other side. Rumsfeld is working for our side and will cut the enemy's guts out.

[McGavin999]

You tell that to the mothers and wives of the men who lost their lives. SOME of them didn't want to fight, but the imported terrorists DID and still are.

Don't you dare belittle this war.

[Hammerhead]

Hey Rokke,

Figured as much....

Couldn't address the point of the post in your response.

Less mentally taxing to throw out a wise-ass comment.

Nontheless, the concept of a GREAT military victory in Iraq is laughable considering we 'battled' an army that had no intention of fighting and civilian population that WELCOMED our arrival.

so please spare me the 'GREATEST military victory in history' speaches.

Maybe on paper.

BTW, although not a 'military genius', I am a Veteran and have continued to work in DOD for 20+ years.

[SBprone]

There is plenty of credit for our leaders to take regardless of the condition of Iraq's military. There was no possibility of surrender until all of our forces were brought to bear. The ground forces as the anvil and the aerial bombardment as the hammer. No matter how much they may have wanted to desert, we had to show up, quickly, and with overwhelming force in order to precipitate their collapse. Getting our resources to the point of attack quickly, before the Iraqis could react effectively, was an awesome and historic achievement.

That was not a flame but please take this as one: On re-reading your post I am convinced you wouldn't recognize a military achievement if it happened right in front of you!

[jporcus]

Yeh, Sean H better get his head out of his a$$ when he goes on bragging with such emphasis on how "This was the most SUCCESSFUL military campaign in history!!!!"

I think YOU have your head up your ... When you get your enemy to not even put up a fight, that is indeed a great military campaign. If we had not hurt them right from the start, probably killing or hurting Sadaam in a big way such that no orders from the top were being given, who knows how much more we would have had to deal with. We defeated guerilla tactics, suicide bombers, etc., with minimal casualties. It was our overwhelming force that defeated the enemy, and showed the world not to mess with us. I don't need (or wish upon our country) more wars to have to convince people like you about the sheer brilliance of this military campaign.

[Congressman Billybob]

The critical difference between Iraq and North Korea is that we don't have to invade NK to destroy their nuclear facilities. We know what they are and where they are, and can take them out from the air -- unlike Hussein's well-hidden smaller weapons.

We only have to deal with the NK army IF it comes south across the DMZ. We already have the bombers in place now to lay down a necklace of MOABs (and other anti-troop ordinance) across the Korean peninsula from sea to sea. The South Koreans, with help from the Americans, can defeat the survivors of the NK army who get through that gauntlet. Keep in mind it is always easier and safer to defend than to attack.

Congressman Billybob

Latest column, now up on UPI, and FR, "I Believe" (1957-2003)

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