April 13th 2003 – Our victory in Iraq is the result of one of the most audacious and successful military operations in history. Even neglecting the certain degradation of the Iraqi army over the last decade of sanctions, the planning, command & control, flexibility, training and discipline required to move 100,000 troops 500 miles, across hostile terrain, to arrive at a destination ready to fight, is reflective of the finest military machine in human history.
You wouldn’t know it from much of the reporting we’ve seen throughout the fight, imbedded reporters and Fox News aside.
Operation Iraqi Freedom, according to the New York Times, CNN, The Washington Post and other liberal media mouthpieces looked something like this:
- Coalition aircraft launch a “decapitation” raid on Saddam’s presumed location, probably missing him. As a result, ground forces are committed earlier than planned, disrupting the smooth flow of forces into the battle.
- Facing unexpected resistance from Baathist irregulars in Basra, British Marines become bogged down on the city’s outskirts.
- Coalition pleas to Iraqi commanders to give up, rather than face annihilation, fail to convince, and expected mass surrenders do not occur.
- US mechanized columns advance too rapidly into Iraq, leaving pockets of resistance behind and overextending their vulnerable supply lines.
- With 100,000 troops fighting their way to Baghdad, the coalition suffers a severe setback, as a helicopter is lost to enemy fire near Nasseriyah.
- Sudden sandstorms engulf coalition forces in the midst of the Iraqi desert, preventing effective air support, slowing their advance to a crawl, and leaving many units stranded without adequate food or water and dwindling ammunition.
- To deal with the severe threat to their lines of communication, coalition commanders are forced to bring in the 4th Infantry Division as well as diverting 2,000 troops from Yemen to the Iraqi front.
- Suicide bombers, snipers and sullen crowds greet Coalition soldiers as they cautiously move through semi-deserted Iraqi towns.
- Baghdad Falls!? Some Iraqis openly berate American soldiers on the streets of Baghdad. A small crowd tears down a statue of Saddam across from the Ministry of Information. Mass looting ensues and coalition forces face continued stiff resistance including snipers and suicide bombers. Saddam and his sons are nowhere to be found. Coalition forces expect desperate resistance as they advance against Saddam’s last remaining stronghold, the city of his birth, Tikrit.
- The quagmire of occupation beckons.
Operation Iraqi Freedom, as it actually rolled out:
- Demonstrating extraordinary flexibility, coalition forces launch a “decapitation” raid in an attempt to kill Saddam as the battle for Iraq begins. Iraqi command & control is paralyzed, indicating that he is either dead or injured.
- Facing unexpected resistance from Baathist irregulars in Basra, British Marines focus on securing the port of Um Qasr to begin the delivery of desperately needed relief supplies. Meanwhile, the Iraqi terrorist guerillas make use of human shields to hinder coalition troops.
- US mechanized columns conduct the most rapid advance in the history of warfare, leaving pockets of resistance behind to be mopped up later. Iraq resistance is relatively light due to the rapidity of the maneuver. Attempts by Iraqi forces to disrupt allied supply lines are easily defeated with overwhelming losses to the attackers.
- Coalition losses remain extremely light with less than 100 dead, eight captured and the loss of one Apache helicopter, one F/A-18 fighter, and an A-10 attack aircraft.
- Although delayed by severe sandstorms, the disciplined US forces continue to move slowly along their lines of advance. There are minor disruptions, but still, food, fuel and munitions continue to be delivered to the front lines without serious delay.
- Facing a refusal by Turkey to allow the opening of a full northern front using the 4th Infantry Division, the troops are diverted to Kuwait to await the arrival of their ship borne equipment enroute through the Suez Canal. The delay causes no apparent impact on the pacing of the campaign.
- Baghdad Falls!! Cheering crowds surround American soldiers. Jeering crowds tear down statues of Saddam across a liberated Iraq. Remaining resistance crumbles as Baathist officials run for cover. Saddam and his sons are nowhere to be found. Kurdish fighters seize the oil center of Kirkuk in the north. Mosul falls. Coalition forces advance against Saddam’s last remaining stronghold, the city of his birth, Tikrit.
- A new, free and democratic Iraq is about to be born.
In the news coverage of this war, the press, lacking sufficient material for an Earth-shattering scoop every day, turned expected bumps along the road to victory into failures in planning and execution.
No one in the professional military ever expects a “fault free” war. All plans fail upon first contact with the enemy, to paraphrase an old saw. It is the very ability of our armed forces to respond to contingencies, change the plan on the fly, and still decisively carry the day, that demonstrate the real success of General Frank’s campaign.
As the endgame comes to a close, with US Marines entering Tikrit, we can be justifiably proud of the American military and our allies.
By all accounts, the Arabs and their Russian muses are in “shock and awe” as they witness this demonstration of crushing war-fighting prowess.
American power reached its 20th century apex at the surrender of Japan in 1945. It wasn’t used to full effect for the next 58 years; first for fear of a nuclear confrontation with the Soviet Union, then for fear of upsetting the “new world order” of the post cold war “peace”.
That time is over and we are now looking at the dawn of America’s century.
The world will be a better place for it!
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