U.S. Methods Paying Off

Moscow Times ^ | Monday, Dec. 29, 2003 | Pavel Felgenhauer

[presidio9]

2003 will primarily be remembered for the war in Iraq, the fall of Baghdad and the capture of Saddam Hussein. The U.S.-led invasion was strongly opposed by millions of Europeans and by former great powers France, Germany and Russia. But they protested in vain.

The U.S. march on Baghdad was a unique event in the history of modern warfare. The swiftness and zeal of the advancing armored columns, supported by relentless air power, is comparable to the best campaigns of the Israeli defense force. But the Israelis never achieved full victory; they did not manage or were not allowed by outside powers to occupy the entire territory of the opposing Arab nation.

Armed conflicts during the Cold War, when Russia and the West balanced each other globally, tended to be very bloody but strategically limited engagements: They were pitched battles on patches of disputed territory where the best possible outcome was to push the enemy back several kilometers and then fortify, awaiting a counteroffensive.

It was a time of frustrating tug-of-war conflicts in which clear and decisive victories were unachievable despite all the carnage. The 2003 campaign in Iraq, on the contrary, was a breath of fresh air for military history buffs -- almost like a return to Napoleonic times with the addition of modern military gear. This was a war that indeed achieved its goal of total enemy defeat and conquest.

Just before Christmas, a high-ranking French delegation of generals, admirals, defense industry officials and analysts came to Moscow. The French amazed their Russian counterparts by breaking to them something that is still news in Moscow today: The United States achieved a major victory in Afghanistan in 2001 and an even greater one in Iraq this year. Russian and French predictions of possible U.S. failure were totally off the mark, and today it would be wrong to expect a U.S. fiasco in suppressing the residual resistance in Iraq.

French and German leaders congratulated President George W. Bush with the capture of Hussein, while President Vladimir Putin remained silent. Die-hard antiwar Democrats like presidential hopeful Howard Dean, together with most Russians, still hope Bush will get a bloody nose in Iraq, but the reality of the situation on the ground does not lend support to this fantasy.

The vast majority of the Iraqi population does not support the resistance. On the contrary, as the guerrilla campaign has developed, the discretion in using force displayed by the Americans and the indiscretion in slaughtering innocent civilians of the jihadist resistance is effectively helping to win over hearts and minds. Today the United States is in a good position to achieve its ultimate goal: the installation of a pro-U.S. Iraqi authority equipped with a military, a police force and a cadre of informers that will keep the opposition down, while the United States will retain strategically important military bases in Iraq.

The Arab and Muslim world, despite many prophesies to the contrary and lots of agitation, did not rise as one to oppose the United States in Iraq. The majority of Iraqis and Arabs are waiting to see whether the United States will manage to make Iraq a better place to live than it was under Hussein. Everyone wants the Americans to hand over control to the locals eventually, but not immediately.

Extreme Islamists from abroad are helping pro-Hussein leftovers to resist in Iraq, but the resources of the jihadists are limited and stretched thin across many fronts: Fighting Israel, different Arab regimes, the Indian forces in Kashmir, the Russians in Chechnya, plotting terrorist attacks worldwide and so on. The jihadists surely cannot carry on a sustained Vietnam-like guerrilla war to chew up the U.S. military in Iraq.

Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi has weighed up the odds and decided to make a deal with Washington to surrender his weapons of mass destruction, rather than providing support to the Iraqi resistance. This year has been remarkable with two former rogue nations, Iraq and Libya, cleared of WMD and a third, Iran, signing a protocol that may prevent it going nuclear.

It has been proven that U.S. military force or the threat of force is an effective method of reversing the proliferation of WMD worldwide. Modern precision warfare also seems to be a more humane method of dealing with rogues than traditional decade-long suffocating sanctions. While the U.S. military continues to be effective, it will surely be much in use in the future.

[eeman]

If you haven't already done so, you should read the "The March Up : Taking Baghdad with the 1st Marine Division." I got a copy for Christmas and I am about half way through it. What I have read so far gives a detailed account of the various battles the authors observed. My only criticism of the book is that I wish there were some maps in it, to acccompany their description of the Marines' engagements.

One thing the authors point out is that the Marines in particular and the infantry in general are not lavished with the money like the other services. I am not sure if this reflects the authors' biases, since they are both ex-Marines. However, there are people on Free Republic who are far more qualified than me to make that judgement

[BOBTHENAILER]

Die-hard antiwar Democrats like presidential hopeful Howard Dean, together with most Russians, still hope Bush will get a bloody nose in Iraq, but the reality of the situation on the ground does not lend support to this fantasy.

The Moscow Times 'gets it'. The DemocRATs. don't.

You're right Ern, outstanding article.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

The DNC subscribes to the Daily Worker.

[XBob]

37 - "I suspect that Quadaffi is a Darwinist at heart, and he believes in survival. Ha, his days are mumbered anyhow, so there is more to it.
How many kids does he have?"

One fewer than he had before Reagan blew away his palace a number of years back, just missing him.

[Cicero]

Excellent analysis.

I expected the war to go quickly up to the outskirts of Baghdad, but I also expected that the capture of the city would be long, difficult, and bloody, especially since we had already shown great restraint in using air strikes that risked civilian casualties. Urban warfare is usually a very tough business. I wonder whether even our own planners expected things to work out as well as they did?

Like the first Gulf War, it looked like a cakewalk in retrospect, but that is only because the planning and execution were meticulous.

Except Baghdad--I still don't really understand that, I confess.

[Maigrey]

Ping for you!

[McGavin999]

One thing the authors point out is that the Marines in particular and the infantry in general are not lavished with the money like the other services.

Well that's going to change if you've been listening to what Rummy has planned. Money is going to be spent in an entirely different manner.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Thanks for the pings and the post.

I stopped by earlier. A pro-Israeli Russian journalist with an article in Moscow Times (doesn't Putin control the newsmedia in Russia today?) had me thinking this may be an "Onion" spoof ~ and me too sleepy to know.

Thanks for pinging the list, xzins. I am very glad to see you. Off to stick my head in some ice water and stop thinking for a while. *g*

[sarasmom]

"One thing the authors point out is that the Marines in particular and the infantry in general are not lavished with the money like the other services. I am not sure if this reflects the authors' biases, since they are both ex-Marines. However, there are people on Free Republic who are far more qualified than me to make that judgement"

I would say a bit of bias involved, but no offense intended towards the Marines or the Army.They do get less cash.
If one compares boots and bullets against an aircraft and ordinance or a ship and its support elements,not to mention the space-based platforms, one should see immediately why the USAF and the USN might require a bit more funds than the other two to operate.
All the branches are gradually morphing into a fully integrated whole, as it takes a wise combination of assets to do the job correctly in a flexable environment.
God bless all of them!
They have done so much, with so little, for so long, they were able to do the impossible with nothing at all.
Now give them all what they really need, and they can keep doing it!

[BnBlFlag]

Traditionally, the Marines receive the leftovers and hand me downs from the Army and the Navy. (At least in the past).

[PSYCHO-FREEP]

Traditionally, the Marines receive the leftovers and hand-me-downs from the Army and the Navy

That reminds me of the two Marines who were invited to accompany the 82nd Airborne on a jump into a "Hot Zone".

The Marines were asked to wait while the first squad bailed out the back of the C-130. Then came the second squad, etc...

The last group to jump would be the Special Foces squad along with the two Marines. One Specialist approaches the Marines and hands them each a parachute. The one Marine looks at the other Marine and says; "This'll be easy! They're going to give us parachutes!

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Get some rest!

[Alamo-Girl]

Bump!

[RussianConservative]

Don't mistake Arab lack of fighting ability with Russia. Only glory Arabs ever find was pushing back Turks who under attack in Gallipoli and eastern Turkey. Russia bury 6 million Wehremacht, including most of Hitler elite divisions.

[RussianConservative]

Usually he write more conspiracy then reality, though this one accurate. He is also in pay of oligarchs, as is Moscow Times generally.

[HP8753]

Talk softly and carry a big rack full of JDAMS

[SandRat]

True, Tovarich and forgive any misspelling, the Russian is a valiant and worthy warrior. Especially when defending Mother Russia on her own soil and avenging wrongs inflicted by an invader.

So too is the American a frightening warrior when avenging a wrong after being attacked, especially a wrong inflicted on the innocent, the elderly, the children, and women. Then the fierceness compares to the combined warrior spirit of the Sioux Nations.

This the Japanese discovered, as did the Nazis on the western and the Mediterranean fronts.

Both warriors, American and Russian are unbeatable when ably lead, supported at home, and equipped with the best industry can provide.

But all too often one of us gets placed in an unfavorable field position by the old old warriors, and young braves are wasted all because of these old old men seeking to relive past glories.

Such was unfortunately a possible case that could have developed in Gulf I and could well have happened this time had not Pres. Putin stayed his hand from the battlefield; now no Russian babushkas are crying tonight.

[windchime]

Bump!

[radu]

BUMP!

[blackie]

U.S. Methods Paying Off ~ Bump!