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2003-04-17 Iraq

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Posted by kgb 2003-04-17 06:05 am|| || Front Page|| [6 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Considering Saddam's history, his recruitment techniques of threatening to kill family members for failure to fight, his punishment of any dissent, that was pretty brave of the Iraqis to bail the way they did. If we had not won, Saddam would still be in power and free to wreck retribution on those who walked away.

Sometimes it takes more courage to walk away from a fight, than to walk into it.

Posted by Ben 2003-04-17 07:19:38|| 2003-04-17 07:19:38|| Front Page Top

#2 so all the Psy-ops, contacts with RG officers, etc, actually worked. Whoda thunk it?

Posted by liberalhawk 2003-04-17 08:34:31|| 2003-04-17 08:34:31|| Front Page Top

#3 Gotta say, thats one of the smartest Colonels in the Iraqi Army. Covers for his men to save their lives, then lets go the rest to save the lives of the civilians who would have been killed had he defended in force.

Gutsy too, considering they are finding hundreds of Iraqi soldiers in shallow graves with their throats slit for desertion by Saddam's "SS" enforcers.

Posted by OldSpook 2003-04-17 09:49:56|| 2003-04-17 09:49:56|| Front Page Top

#4 Slightly off-topic, but what does it tell you about the Republican Guard when you have a full-bird colonel commanding what amounts to a combat engineer company? I'm no military analyst by any means, but I can't imagine that's a good sign.

Posted by Mike 2003-04-17 11:39:39|| 2003-04-17 11:39:39|| Front Page Top

#5 Their 50,000 soldiers and 800 tanks were drawn up in a tight circle around the city.

Heck, that's what any "elite" force led by a "shrewd", "cunning" genius would do, when confronted by overwhelming air superiority and surrounded by a three-pronged armored invasion... gather the wagons in a circle and concentrate the targets.

The comparisons to the invasion of Germany are certainly a disservice to the Wehrmacht.

Posted by Mark IV 2003-04-17 11:45:57|| 2003-04-17 11:45:57|| Front Page Top

#6 Come to think of it, even the Volksturm put up more of a fight. Ouch.

Posted by Rex Mundi 2003-04-17 13:56:25|| 2003-04-17 13:56:25|| Front Page Top

#7 145 of 150? If the remaining 5 men discarded their uniforms, and went back home, wouldn't that be 150 of 150 men fled?

Posted by Mike N. 2003-04-17 16:08:23|| 2003-04-17 16:08:23|| Front Page Top

#8 I can't agree that the colonel was smart - he was one of the last to leave. I gotta give credit to the security officer - showing the way by voting with his feet.

I've been reading "The White Flag Principle" by Simon Tzabar. I ordered it via Amazon months ago and it arrived the morning after Baghdad fell. There must have been a temporary shortage caused by a bulk purchase by the Iraqi army.

Posted by A 2003-04-17 16:59:15|| 2003-04-17 16:59:15|| Front Page Top

#9 I happen to know a bit (ahem, nevermind where) about Arab command structures. They are very "Top Down", with little indepenndance allowed for lower officers and non for NCOs. Lower ranking officers who show initiative are a threat to the regieme - if they can gain rank they beomce a threat to the leadership, which relies on abosolute obedience.

this produces an anomoly in Arab armies: pormotions are ased on political trust, not ideaology. And only the most promoted (i.e. proven loyal to a given point) are given command positions. A USMC Gunnery Sgt has about the same command span and authority as an Arab Colonel or even a One-Star General in some places.

We expect our soldiers to be independant, to interpret orders, adjust to situations, and exercise initiative. Anyone behaving like a mindless automaton is soon removed from the chain of command and thence from the service.

They expect blind obedience and hewing to the part/regligous lines. Anyone behaving with originality or initiative is either killed, jaield (for insubordination) or simply thrown out of the military.

This leaves you with a lot of reliable Arab Colonels who are unqualified to command much anything larger than a platoon, and a lot of US Non-Coms who can move 2+ levels up in the chain of command if needed (and have done so in war).

Small wonder the worst armies in the world are those from Arab dictatorships that never seem to learn from the past and the best are from Western democracies that maintain solid military traditions.

Posted by OldSpook 2003-04-17 18:58:39|| 2003-04-17 18:58:39|| Front Page Top

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