“.......the disbandment of the Iraqi army after the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 ....
Dumbest thing we did in Iraq.”
A large part of the “Army” was not the Army of Nation of Iraq at all, but was actually the Army of the Ba’ath Party. The best units (seven Divisions) of Republican Guard reported to Saddam Hussein through a Ba’ath Party command, and not to the Ministry of Defense. The paramilitary Fedayeen Saddam also were not a National asset, but a personal asset of the President.
The “regular” Iraqi Army itself was highly politicized like that of a Communist regime. All the Generals were highly political appointments, of party loyalists (literally more than 10,000 individuals held flag rank, so they could reconstitute Ba’athist command easily, no matter how high their losses). The whole officer Corps was extensively politically screened throughout their careers, and during evaluation for promotion. The regular Army itself was regionally organized, with a strong role in politically monitoring and suppressing the local population.
The Ba’ath Party seized power twice in Iraq through coups - the last time with only about 5,000 people. The Army had extensive plans and preparations to regroup and re-seize power, if the country was overrun, in addition to the separate and well developed plans of the Republican Guards, Fedayeen and intelligence services. Seizing power by coup was a major part of Ba’ath Party lore, and contingency preparations for it consumed a significant percentage of its training and budget. Their plans and preparations increased significantly after their near collapse in the Gulf War, and through the decade-long siege of sanctions and no-fly zones.
They were always public that this was their plan, and they used the prospect of their return to intimidate those who might collaborate with the Americans. They named their initial terrorist organization “The Return”, shortly after the American liberation. Elements of the military intelligence are in fact now conducting this operation, under the false flag the Islamic State.
We knew for a fact the Ba’athist Army was prepared to rebel and conduct a coup - probably more so than other military on Earth. They simply could not safely be left in place, armed and organized. It was never a feasible option.
However, if all this were known, how does one explain that preposterous armistice or whatever the hell it was, arranged by Schwartzkopf et al?
We left them armed and dangerous ... and then tried to reel them back in ... or suppress them?
Boy are we on the same page!! See my comment #84.
Good points.
I’m not qualified to determine their accuracy, of course.
However, Americans make a huge mistake when they assume other armies are as professional and apolitical as our own.