About that speedy assault on Baghdad...

[The Backlash Cometh]

This is the second time I've heard a Republican say that they weren't prepared after the war to deal with the insurgents because they assumed that they would be put down during the military part of the war. However, the Repubs claim that the military operations occurred so quickly, that they didn't kill enough of the Iraq military and they eventually became the insurgents they're fighting today.

But it's my recollection that the race to Baghdad was our doing. Didn't someone give the order to move forward quickly and in so doing it, our front line even got separated from the mechanics and supply personnel? That's where most of our early casualties came from, when our supply troops drove into harm's way. That's where Shoshona Johnson and Private Lynch came from.

I also distinctly remember an officer being removed because he didn't feel it was safe to move forward at such a fast clip.

In order words, by moving in too quickly, we never really handled the original problem and in reality, we're fighting the war today that we should have fought yesterday?

[Lefta Dissenter]

1. Obviously,

you are brilliant.

[Sterling]

2. Yes and get this...

They got people killed doing that shit!!! I am not sure how we picked our officers but they sent our troops into urban areas in column formation. That is the most vulnerable of all methods of advancing in an urban area.

Many troops were killed by rpg fire coming from positions behind them as they made their way through the cities. I think Bush purged our military of all the pros and got a bunch of yes men that have no fucking clue what they are doing.

[Owlet]

3. Back in the sixth grade...

..I remember learning that the British redcoats fighting in the American Revolution were very upset with those pesky colonists who insisted on firing at them from behind trees and stone walls and the like, instead of standing up in rows to get mowed down by volley fire.

Looks like the Iraqis learned from history and our civilian military leaders didn't.

[knowbody0]

4. with vietnam era vests and humvees without armor

disposable poor people marching to their deaths

[Eloriel]

5. Not only that, we bribed the forces surrounding Baghdad

Which Tommy Franks himself confirmed. I figure that was why there was that 3-day or so delay once we reached the outskirts of Baghdad.

[The Backlash Cometh]

8. Well, even Tommy Franks knows that money will rent people, but

you never buy them.

[tabasco]

6. This is the most asinine argument ...

Any qualified military planner knew that the defeat of any Iraqi conventional forces willing to fight would be very fast. It was no surprise to any qualified planners that we quickly scattered Iraqi forces and secured the Baghdad airport. At that time, we had occupied about 5% of Baghdad, and probably secured 1% of all Iraq. The real fight lay ahead in establishing security and control of the cities, which we STILL have not done.

My point is, the quick defeat of conventional Iraqi forces was no surprise to the military. The real military problem always was the occupation - establishing security in a huge country and fighting a guerrilla war. This was no secret that became evident because of the swift defeat of Iraqi conventional forces. I am sure the Army warned the administration that the real danger was the occupation phase of the war. General Shinseki was shown the door for warning the idiots.

But the criminally incompetent administration went ahead with their goddamn war, because they had genius Rumsfeld calling the shots. These people deserve to go to jail for their incompetence.

[The Backlash Cometh]

9. On edit, I see your comments were directed to the Repub's

comments.

I agree with you that our military should have known, but the fact that someone relieved a commander who refused to march forward probably set an example for all the others.

[BeFree]

7. Mission Accomplished said B*sh

"The greatest, fastest military victory in history." said Rummy.

"The sooner we get to Baghdad they sooner we go home" said the troops.

"We will win the battle, but we will lose the war" said BeFree.

"They have no plan" me again, once troops conquered Baghdad.

Bring the troops home. Now.

[The Backlash Cometh]

10. It is pretty bad when a housewife could see the flaw of that

war before it began. It wasn't just the absence of an exit strategy. It was the basic lack of understanding of what happens to a country when you destabilize it. Destabilizing latin american countries is one thing. They're not a warrior people. But Iraq was another animal.

[BeFree]

12. Yep. You know...

There were Defense officials who knew what street fighting in Baghdad was gonna be like, but the Office of Special Plans, OSP, under Perle, etal, totally ignored the warnings.

It almost seems like there was a conspiracy to invade, and it meant they had to ignore conventional wisdom like that of little ol' housewives and important military men, to move the conspiracy to fruition.

Iraq, everyone knew, was indeed another animal. And B*sh jumped right, right into the cage.

[The Traveler]

11. That's such a crock

Like most warmongering idiots, they know nothing of the history of combat. What else did they expect? The Iraqis knew they could not repel an invasion. They failed in 91 when they had one of the best military machines in the world. How could they expect to succeed in 03? Anyone who couldn't predict they would melt into the masses was a fucking idiot, unfit to command men of war.