The Perfect Soldier: Special Operations, Commandos, and the Future of Us Warfare by James F. Dunnigan
More Books by James Dunnigan
|
Dirty Little Secrets
The Battle For Baghdad Sputters to an End
by James Dunnigan
April 9, 2003
The Battle for Baghdad nears a conclusion, with coalition forces seeking out resistance, and destroying it wherever they find it. Iraqi forces appear to be without any central control and many are deserting. Iraqi military communications are monitored by coalition electronic warfare units, making any deliberate movement of Iraqi troops subject to ambush from the air or on the ground. Coalition commanders know where the enemy is, while Iraqi commanders know little. Most government officials, including the "minders" that accompany foreign journalists, have disappeared. Abandoned uniforms, weapons and armored vehicles are found throughout the city. As a result of this, thousands of Iraqi civilians are now seen cheering coalition troops moving through their neighborhoods.
Thousands of American marines are moving into eastern Baghdad, while U.S. 3rd Mechanized division patrols range over the northern and western portions of Baghdad. Coalition Special Forces and commando units are becoming more noticeable, a few operating in daylight. Some Iraqi factions have declared they are on the side of the coalition. Some towns around Baghdad have declared themselves free of Saddam's control.
The coalition casualty rate has stayed as low as ever (about five casualties per division per day), mainly because of the high level of training and combat leadership among coalition troops, and the equally low levels among Iraqi troops. On the Iraqi side, the men most likely to resist are paramilitary troops (security troops, foreign Islamic volunteers.) These men, who appear to be clueless about what they are getting themselves into, are slaughtered by the coalition professionals. The Iraqi fighters are making matters worse by deliberately using civilians for cover. But the coalition rules of engagement do not force troops to not fire if Iraqis are shooting from behind civilians. In southern Iraq, the local civilians eventually took sides and went over to the coalition forces. This made it impossible for the pro-Saddam fighters to carry on and they fled. While this is happening in parts of Baghdad, there is really no place to run. While there may be a last stand in Saddam's home town Tikrit (north of Baghdad), coalition forces have blocked all the main roads out of the city. For Saddam's diehard defenders, it's surrender or die, and many are choosing the latter option.
|
|
