Article

2004-11-19 Iraq-Jordan

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Posted by Steve White 2004-11-19 12:18:22 AM|| || Front Page|| [2 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Oh yeah, announce the plan to all and sundry, General. Real smart.

Posted by mojo 2004-11-19 12:37:33 AM|| 2004-11-19 12:37:33 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 mojo - might be misdirection, Not all generals are schtoooopid.

Posted by PBMcL 2004-11-19 12:42:58 AM|| 2004-11-19 12:42:58 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 Hmmm ... this may be posturing, but it may also be a signal to the civilians in the city that a) an attack is imminent and b) where to leave.

Posted by rkb 2004-11-19 5:53:18 AM|| 2004-11-19 5:53:18 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 There's something truly humiliating about facing an enemy so good they can tell you their plan and there's still nothing you can do to stop them. That humiliation is a powerful weapon in the ME. It saves civilian lives and lets them know it doesn't pay to let the terrs infest the neighborhood. It also keeps the terrs on the run so that they can't go on the offensive. In every city, we find out where they stayed and who their friends are that will need close watching in the future. I just hope we don't stop chasing them till we kill them all or get to Tehran.

Posted by Mrs. Davis 2004-11-19 7:44:22 AM|| 2004-11-19 7:44:22 AM|| Front Page Top

#5 I think this basically a game of you can run but you can't hide.

Posted by Doug De Bono 2004-11-19 7:54:31 AM|| [http://www.DouglasDeBono.com] 2004-11-19 7:54:31 AM|| Front Page Top

#6 It's a head game. The terrorists can run but at some point they will not be able to hide. This also sends a message to the civil population. Don't hide these guys or we will turn you neighborhood to a pile of rubble. I am sure the pictures of how Fallujah looks today are in circulation. everyone is going to get the message soon. At some point the terrorists will be outed or the civilian population will take matter into their own hands.

Posted by Sock Puppet of Doom 2004-11-19 8:17:00 AM|| [http://www.slhess.com] 2004-11-19 8:17:00 AM|| Front Page Top

#7 Sounds like 36 Commando is living in fast times.

Posted by Shipman 2004-11-19 8:18:12 AM|| 2004-11-19 8:18:12 AM|| Front Page Top

#8 Based on what I've read here at Rantburg, running isn't such a good idea, either. How do you like your popcorn?

Posted by trailing wife 2004-11-19 8:27:00 AM|| 2004-11-19 8:27:00 AM|| Front Page Top

#9 Willnot this chasing effort here be much more difficult than Fallujah? Mosul has 6?? times the population of F'jah.. We are playing a game of 'hide and seek' with the insurgents. Without the help of the locals pointing out the bad guys, it looks like a much bigger effort than F'jah. How many of the locals will support the insurgents versus supporting the TROOPS ??

Posted by TCal-USA 2004-11-19 9:23:20 AM|| 2004-11-19 9:23:20 AM|| Front Page Top

#10 Three stages of Locals versus "insurgents"
(1) active support "Thank Allen you're here...drive the infidels out!"
(2) resignation "OK, you can hang here for a bit...but try not to defile my virgin daughter, ok?"
(3) opposition "Get the FUCK AWAY FROM ME AND MY CITY!!...I've seen Fallujah, and I hate YOU morons worse than the Americans!"

If we're not at Stage 3...we're REAL CLOSE!

Posted by Justrand 2004-11-19 9:36:50 AM|| 2004-11-19 9:36:50 AM|| Front Page Top

#11 yes Mosul is bigger than Fallujah, but it only a little over half the city that is the problem - there are large Kurdish and Turkmen minorities there, its only the Sunni Arab sections where the insurgents will hide.

The coalition hasnt amassed as large a force, but then the insurgents havent had the months to prepare defensive positions.

Probably not worse than Fallujah for coalition forces, but probably more insurgents will get away, as the cordon seems skimpier and last minute.

As for local support for the coalition within the Sunni arab pop of Mosul, thats real hard to say. There have been conflicting reports for the last 18 months - from this is a hotbed of former regime elements, to claims that Petraeus and the 101st had built up good contacts, etc. But how long are those contacts good for? Anyones guess, Id say.

Posted by Liberalhawk 2004-11-19 9:39:25 AM|| 2004-11-19 9:39:25 AM|| Front Page Top

#12 Those contacts are good for as long as you can protect them. That's why I suspect we may need more troops.

Posted by Mrs. Davis 2004-11-19 10:00:46 AM|| 2004-11-19 10:00:46 AM|| Front Page Top

#13 T-Cal

How do you know we don't have the help of locals pointing out bad guys? Nothing suggests we don't have that help in the article...or any other article I've read. Is that just an assumption on your part?

Posted by mjh 2004-11-19 10:39:31 AM|| 2004-11-19 10:39:31 AM|| Front Page Top

#14 cool - more Iraqi's that US soldiers on this one. Nothing like on the job training.

No more McClellan v/s Lee :-)

Posted by 2b 2004-11-19 12:03:47 PM|| 2004-11-19 12:03:47 PM|| Front Page Top

#15 The real story in this article is contained in the following sentence: "but suddenly two rebels in an adjacent four-storey building fired on US troops, while one of them pulled out a rocket-propelled grenade launcher. Soldiers immediately opened fire, devastating the building and killing the insurgents."
That's what will drive the Iraqi population's attitudes towards "insurgents" and will break the back of the "resistance."

Posted by RWV 2004-11-19 12:48:29 PM|| 2004-11-19 12:48:29 PM|| Front Page Top

#16 Plus getting them to run also opens up the "off camera" activities that even Tommy Franks said to expect. Plenty more goblins will die trying to run away. Intel gets better and better. I think announcing our plan is often part of the plan.

Posted by Capsu78 2004-11-19 1:08:22 PM|| 2004-11-19 1:08:22 PM|| Front Page Top

#17 MJH-
Yes, it is an assumption on my part that the Sunni insurgents will try to 'hide' or blendin with their fellow 'clansmen' in Mosul. Are they welcomed there? Are all Sunni Mosulites on the side of the troops?? It would make this thing alot easier if everyone were on the troopside pointing out the BAD GUYS..

Posted by TCal-USA 2004-11-19 1:38:58 PM|| 2004-11-19 1:38:58 PM|| Front Page Top

#18 Part of the psyops is for the enemy to see itself on the defensive.

It doesn't so much matter if General Flaih gives correct info or purposely incorrect info or if he just shouts 'death and hell to the jihadis'. All that matters is that after his announcement there is a lot of shooting and dead jihadis (I would actually prefer he shouted 'death and...".

Posted by mhw 2004-11-19 1:39:07 PM|| 2004-11-19 1:39:07 PM|| Front Page Top

#19 Are all Sunni Mosulites on the side of the troops?? It would make this thing alot easier if everyone were on the troopside pointing out the BAD GUYS.

This will happen as elections draw near and average sunni voters realize that the bad guys are only going to succeed in depressing votes in sunni-majority districts.

Lesson: you bomb, you lose. Shi'a and kurds will utterly dominate the sunnis in that case.

Posted by lex 2004-11-19 1:49:44 PM|| 2004-11-19 1:49:44 PM|| Front Page Top

#20 [Off-topic or abusive comments deleted]

Posted by Josh TROLL 2004-11-19 5:55:24 PM|| 2004-11-19 5:55:24 PM|| Front Page Top

#21 Was it good for you,Josh?

Posted by raptor 2004-11-19 6:28:00 PM|| 2004-11-19 6:28:00 PM|| Front Page Top

#22 we will eradicate the jihadis

Posted by Unogum Elmilet5118 2004-11-19 9:13:44 PM|| 2004-11-19 9:13:44 PM|| Front Page Top

#23 The General is telling the Islamofcists where the attack is coming hoping they won't be there when the attack goes in. He is looking for a few easy victories that will build up the confidence of the IPs and Defense Forces and the confidence of the citizens in them. Crawl before you walk deal. Screw the trolls they are all chickenshit.

Posted by Ebbavith Glavise4727 2004-11-19 11:14:55 PM|| 2004-11-19 11:14:55 PM|| Front Page Top

#24 Off-topic or abusive comments deleted]

Posted by Josh 2004-11-19 5:55:24 PM|| [http://www.aw.com] 2004-11-19 5:55:24 PM|| Front Page Top

17:55 Josh
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23:58 Mike Sylwester
23:56 Frank G
23:54 Frank G
23:47 Mike Sylwester
23:43 Mark Espinola
23:42 Steve White
23:40 lex
23:35 True German Ally
23:31 Barbara Skolaut
23:30 lex
23:29 2b
23:29 Mike Sylwester