Orders to retreat came as surprise, Iraqi officer says

Mercury News ^ | 4/20/03 | Carol Rosenberg

[NormsRevenge]

BAGHDAD, Iraq -Iraqi military commanders, certain they could never counter overwhelming American air power, thought they could defeat the United States by making a bloody stand for Baghdad that would so sicken the American public that the United States would withdraw its troops and go home.

[boomop1]

Maybe our Special Ops told them to retreat.

[Paul Atreides]

That's what they get for listening to Baghdad Bob......and Peter Jennings.

[clamboat]

That would be pretty cool. Dirty trick, issuing orders on behalf of your enemy's generals. Heh, heh.

[deport]

Bits and pieces dribble out..... the question is are they accurate?

[WOSG]

hmmm, that was suspicious turn of events ... " but was telephoned to field units by the highest levels."

I THOUGHT THE PHONES WERE KNOCKED OUT! Hmmmm. Excuses made?

[hoosiermama]

Sounds like something from MIssion Impossible: A special telephone that can imitate any voice dialed into it. You only think you're talking to your boss,the general,.....when actually you are being tricked. SOuld good to me. Get Smart's shoe!

[NormsRevenge]

Were female news reporters allowed to operate as embedded media inside Iraq during the initial actions up until fall of Baghdad?

I'm not sure about Carol Rosenberg and her status in that case, or if subsequently, she and others are now able to enter Iraq and do reporting such as this.

[Tahoe3002]

Maybe, just maybe, Major Salah Abdullah Mahdi al-Jabouri will now use his leadership and organizational skills to help freedom flourish in iraq. Maybe, just maybe, he will look at his wife and children, nieces and nephews, and help build a new future for iraq; with freedom for the Shiites, Sunnis, Jews, and Christians. Maybe, just maybe, iraq will NOT become another islamic revolutionary state ala iran.

Good Luck, Major.

[gcruse]

Wouldn't that be something, though?

[Rain-maker]

Maybe Psyops used a psychotronic generator to put the fear of Allah in them so they would cower under their beds.

http://carlisle-www.army.mil/usawc/Parameters/98spring/thomas.htm

[lepton]

I THOUGHT THE PHONES WERE KNOCKED OUT! Hmmmm. Excuses made?

Lots of types of phones, including field phones.

[Nick Danger]

Iraqi field commanders were surprised April 8, as they were preparing to battle U.S. incursions into the capital, when they were ordered to withdraw and return to their bases north of the city

This could be treachery, or it could be treason, or it could be the best clue yet that Saddam and his sons died on April 7, in Monsour, of excessive heat and blast.

Isn't this what you would do, if you were an Iraqi General, and you knew that Saddam was dead? Why put your own men through a meat-grinder? To defend what?

You know that even the Americans know that Iraq will need an army. You will be back. Your men will be back. And if you move quickly, you'll all be alive to be there when your country needs you.

These were some wise Generals. Saddam was right not to trust them. Their loyalty was to their country, not to him.

[schaketo]

Is this about the Iraqi militarty or french history?

[VxH]

Witness the number of times Iraqi TV was off and on the air. Redundancies within redundancies.

Then again... maybe the C&C came from Moscow via the Russian advisors.

VH

[f.Christian]

Probably the 1st bomb killed hussien !

[bert]

well said