Article

2004-04-25 Iraq-Jordan

It Looks Like Bush Will Order Decisive Military Action Against Fallujah

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Mike Sylwester 2004-04-25 9:31:03 AM|| || Front Page|| [1 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Not to fret. The investment of Fallujah involves strategic military and diplomatic considerations far beyond Fallujah itself. Only the President is high up enough to make sure that all the other regional military commanders are aware of the situation, just in case somebody tries on a "second front" sneak attack during it. He also makes sure that the State Department has all its diplomats in Iraq and the region prepared and that allies and world powers are advised. Likewise the Homeland Security people for a heightened state of security for the duration of the attack.

The tactics of the attack, however, when ordered, I am pretty confident that Bush will leave up to the field commanders. You will notice that they frequently include their *own* self-imposed "rules of engagement" when they make public comment. As in "We will not attack mosques unless we receive fire from them", etc.

This is a LOT different from Vietnam, where even congressmen would direct field commanders not to attack certain targets, and "fields of fire" were limited by often alternating "no fire zones", where the enemy could hide once he figured out where they were.

Posted by Anonymous 2004-04-25 11:43:05 AM|| 2004-04-25 11:43:05 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 It's about goddam time.

Posted by badanov 2004-04-25 12:04:56 PM|| [http://www.rkka.org] 2004-04-25 12:04:56 PM|| Front Page Top

#3 Good, good. If preparations are being made, it looks like Zero Hour ... this article reassures me about the strength of our military, about how in fact they dominate the battlefield despite the causalties you hear about (by inflicting hundreds more upon the enemy), and how in fact command and control of the battlefield is almost enitrely on the American side, with far better training and rifle skill ... go with God, guys, and may He impart on you a measure of His Glory.

Posted by Edward Yee 2004-04-25 12:34:12 PM|| [http://edwardyee.fanworks.net] 2004-04-25 12:34:12 PM|| Front Page Top

#4 This is a LOT different from Vietnam, where even congressmen would direct field commanders not to attack certain targets,..

The impression I got from reading about Vietnam was that Johnson was pretty much responsible for all that micromanaging bullshit, something GWB hasn't done up to this point. And GWB's probably not going to change that approach, either.

Posted by Bomb-a-rama 2004-04-25 3:11:18 PM|| 2004-04-25 3:11:18 PM|| Front Page Top

#5 I feel bad for the civilians trapped there - they are really hostages, most of them. But it looks more and more like Muslims only to respond to strength and see olive branches as only being useful to take a stab at the person who handed it to them. It took us awhile to understand that, but now we do. They force us to act accordingly and that's a shame. We'd be happy to let the civilians out unharmed.

Posted by B 2004-04-25 3:28:03 PM|| 2004-04-25 3:28:03 PM|| Front Page Top

#6 I think that the attack will be quite late on a clear night where NOD's provide a tactical advantage and civilians are less likely to be out of bed. I don't think there will be a bombardment. I guess it depends on how organized the insurgent forces are.

Posted by Super Hose 2004-04-25 4:21:53 PM|| 2004-04-25 4:21:53 PM|| Front Page Top

11:44 raptor
07:59 Igs
07:12 B
07:09 B
02:35 Lucky
02:21 SON OF TOLUI
00:23 Anonymous4555
23:55 Laurence of the Rats
23:44 Pappy
23:44 OldSpook
23:42 OldSpook
23:35 eLarson
23:34 ex-lib
23:31 eLarson
23:30 Pappy
23:28 eLarson
23:27 Pappy
23:26 mmurray821
23:26 eLarson
23:25 Steven Den Beste
23:24 eLarson
23:21 Super Hose
23:21 eLarson
23:20 Zhang Fei