So maybe if we constructed Sangars, with a proper fortification every so often Blue?
The planners have to be aiming off for a guerilla war. There are simply far too many historical examples, of how Saddam will prosecute this war
Antony Beevor said Saddam is an afficianado of Stalins tactics against the Germans.
There have been too many assumptions made, that we are fighting a ragtag bunch of Ay-rabs, and this will be over in 10 minutes flat. I think the IDF could have told you otherwise. Some of the reports getting shown, are of the officers at the sharp end, confused and dismayed, that the Iraqis aren't throwing flowers, but are throwing everything but the kitchen sink at the forces of liberation.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2883225.stm
British military spokesman Group Captain Al Lockwood said: "We are meeting resistance from irregulars, members of the Fedayeen, who are extremely loyal to Saddam Hussein's regime.
"They are terrorising the citizens of Basra and we will probably need to go in," he told CNN.
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Really ? The first British Soldier was killed by rioting CIVILIANS. You remember, the same people who will throw flowers at us. Not fanatics or irregulars, but the "Oppressed people we're liberating"
As long as the planners and headsheds won't face the truth, this is going to grind on and on. It is not just diehards, fanatics and irregulars, it's the Iraqi people we're fighting here, because we invaded their country. When Germany invaded Russia, there were a great many Russians, who had an axe to grind with Stalin, they still fought the invaders for "Mother Russia" When the Americans tried to snatch Aideed in Somalia , they were stunned at the ferocity of the defence. it wasn't just members of Aideeds clan resisting, it was just about the whole city. They resisted, because "Foreigners" were trying to take one of their own. Nationalism has been seriously underated in Iraq's case, the planners HAVE to be saying to themselves, let's act on the worst case, the entire nation hates us, let's plan accordingly"
Dangerous assumptions have been made about the preparedness of the Iraqi Army to fight. Yes we have seen surrenders, we could do with seeing more. I notice there is now a lot of airtime devoted to "Why are they fighting us? Don't they understand, we just want to give them humanitarian aid?"
What they understand, is a foreign nation is invading them, and for their own, nationalistic reasons and Arab pride, they are fighting, and as much as it pains me to say it, fighting well. The sandstorms and appaling weather season has started. Our technological advantage, will be eroded, as Aircraft can't fly, and Tanks and IFV's start choking in the dust and heat. Then, we will be fighting on their terms, which is exactly, what we didn't want to do. I think you had better move the "Hearts and minds" programme to the top of the agenda, and start installing an "Arms for food and building materials programme"
Is it just possible, that the poor Iraqi people, weren't quite as oppressed as we have been led to believe?
Sorry, bit of a ramble, doing several things at once here....
Just a thought,
Should we go firm with what we've achieved, and call the UN inspectors back into the areas we control, as a prelude to supplying humanitarian aid?
Two advantages
1. We get the UN back in the frame
2. We can get the humanitarian Program underway, before the rest of the Arab world gets on the bus to join the fight against the infidels
Just a thought