NO 'BAGHDAD BLOODBATH'

New York Post ^ | 3/25/03 | RALPH PETERS

[kattracks]

March 25, 2003 -- THE war in Iraq yesterday was a story of the dog - or many dogs - that didn't bark. Iraqi forces remained unable to launch significant counterattacks. Irregular forces failed to mount serious threats to our rear area. Regime officals continued to wave their arms and tell us that now we've really made them mad. And allied forces continued to move toward Baghdad.

[Aracelis]

Regime officals continued to wave their arms and tell us that now we've really made them mad.

I don't know why, but this sentence sent me into hysterics. Go Team-USA!

[Straight Vermonter]

Being just an armchair general myself I don't know much but it seems to me that with our air mobile capabilities we could engage the Iraqis from behind by dropping in between them and Baghdad. This takes out their support elements in the rear and cuts off their avenue of escape. I'm sure wiser FReepers can tell me where I have gone wrong.

[Kimlee]

LOL you and me both!

[rolling_stone]

Great Article...I think the frantic arm waving will end in white flag waving...

[Mudcat]

Because I'm sick of being told how brilliant our enemies are and how our troops are going to get whupped up on by some Kmart Hitler

heh heh!

[Rain-maker]

I presume we will just surround the city and wait till they give up. They can't last indefinitely with continued pounding and dwindling resources. Throw in some sporadic commando raids and they are toast. We have time and supplies on our side, they don't.

Hey Saddam and Aziz come out and play~

[geopyg]

I heard some "expert" say you bomb them to soften up and "shape" the battle, get ground troops in to engage them and cut off retreat, then finish them off with bombing. Don't know how "expert" the guy was - but sounds good to me.

[goldstategop]

My favorite Iraqi is their propaganda minister. He'll probably rant how we the fascist aggressors are massacring and starving Iraqis into the submission. The irony will probably be lost on every one who doesn't know the true character of this regime but we've already had first hand experience. As for Baghdad we'll crush the regime to a pulp on our terms and the regime's defenders will find out soon its not going to be the war they had hoped to force us to fight. Semper fi.

[Experiment 6-2-6]

Um, I think the amount of firepower available to Iraq would kinda chew up the air transport units. Plus, I'm not sure how much transport capability we have there now.

That was the big problem with Stalingrad. The resupply aircraft had to fly over enemy territory at greater and greater distances as the front receded. It finally got to a point where the range of the aircraft wasn't enough to cross the distance. The Germans didn't last much longer after that.

It takes a lot to keep a unit supplied in the field. It starts to get dicey when they is on their own and fighting bad guys all around (we kinda saw that at Arnhem with Operation Market Garden)

The Berlin Airlift was the real example of maintaining our sectors in Berlin during the blockade. The Russkies didn't think we could. Of course, no one was shooting at us, either....

[goldstategop]

Saddam is really a dime store coward and the reason he's so fearsome is he's been hiding behind the backs of women and children. Just wait til he and his fellow thugs get a taste of us.

[Batrachian]

If the point of this piece is that there's no hurry now, then I agree (for all that's worth). We wasted months and months screwing around with the U.N. At least this war will be conducted on our timetable.

The rosy predictions of a 1 week war where wrong, but so what? That doesn't mean our boys pack up and go home. It means we take the time to do it right. The 4th Division hasn't even landed yet. The 101st Division is still in Kuwait. Half our force hasn't even seen combat yet. There is no hurry.

[Burkeman1]

I am glad Ralph Peters is so happy.

I have no doubt that we will win this war and Sadaam will be gone. But as Bush said it ain't going to be easy. I suspect we will be in for some tough urban fighting very soon. We may have high casualties. For Mister Peter's to dance and celebrate and mock his opponents is disgusting but in keeping with his and the Post's cheerleading for war.

I doubt President Bush would gleefully site this distastful article anytime soon.

[D-fendr]

A bump for our guys.

[stripes1776]

Great article. It really puts things in perspective.

[SeeRushToldU_So]

I am becoming a big Ralph Peters fan.

[Aracelis]

My favorite Iraqi is their propaganda minister.

Ooooooh! I know what you mean. This guy just infuriates me! We have one of those foam rubber sports bricks that you can throw at the TV after a bad call. This guy gets it in the kisser every time! LOL

[Burkeman1]

Actually - he was the information minister who decided who got what story during the first Gulf War- he was a good friend of CNN.

[11B3]

You seem to forget that we are keeping the logistics trail open behind our advancing units. Transport? We've got more airlift capability than anyone on earth. Iraqi firepower? Remember the last 8 or so years of "no fly zone" enforcement? The last year or so has been directed at any communications site, AAA site, or any other threat to aircraft. Iraqi Air Force? Who the hell is that? I haven't heard about a single sortie by them.

Your citation of Stalingrad is a poor analogy. Comparing our logistics to that of the Germans in WWII is akin to comparing today's 1st Cav to their Civil War predecessors. In fact, any attempts to compare even the US military to the one that fought in the first Gulf War is impossible due to the increased ability to manage battlefield data in real time. Commanders are now able to get hard steel on an enemy objective in less time than has ever been dreamed possible. Likewise, our forces are less heavy now - meaning they need less fuel, but also more ammo I would imagine. Soon we will see the total elimination of AAA assets, which will bring Spectre out to feed. That will be entertaining.

The current level of allied casualties is unbelievably low so far - and could have been lower with some heavier bombardment/less concern for the 'innocent' Iraqis. (Whoever they are.)