[Destro]

The specific strategy of "Shock and Awe" can be said to have failed not the overall strategy of "liberating" Iraq.

Since Iraq had working telephones and television service till the last week of the war I would say "Shock and Awe" fell short of shocking and awing the Iraqi regime into quitting resistance until we enetred Baghdad (in fact Baghdad fell faster than Basra or Um Qasr-citie we thought would be in coalition hands by day one).

[LS]

First, I said on this forum about two days after the war started that I was EXTREMELY skeptical that there ever was a "shock and awe" strategy. It was a media prop, and a ruse, to conceal our true plans. There was NEVER any intention to put out the lights, or otherwise destroy "infrastructure." But the Iraqis were prepared for this, and had their AA drawn back to Baghdad. I think when the full story of this is out, "Shock and Awe" will go down right next to the Schwartzkopf "hey diddle, diddle, right up the middle" feint in Gulf War I.