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U.S. Announces Plan for Massive Counter-ISIS Attack [W:228]

MMC said:
Well, I always thought you were better than coming with that derp routine.

Was that after I kicked him in the head with my stirrup. :shock:
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Then read what I quoted when I said that. It was a derp comment.
 
poweRob said:
Then read what I quoted when I said that. It was a derp comment.
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Cmon Rob. Usually you know what you are talking about when it comes to a subject. I always respect what you had to say.

No need to play like the old time lib clique here. Just sayin.
 
Iraqi forces prepare for Tikrit offensive - The Washington Post

“It will be a very hard fight,” said Jassim al-Jabara, head of the security committee for the Salahuddin provincial council, which urged remaining civilians to leave Tikrit and nearby al-Alam, ad Dawr and al-Bouajil. The operation will begin “very soon,” he said. Sheik Jassim al-Saidi, a commander with Kitaeb Hezbollah, and other militia leaders said the offensive could take 10 days .

In January, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi told Reuters that a campaign to retake Tikrit would be launched within a month. He said then that there was no timeline for an attack on Mosul, which requires more planning. A U.S. Central Command official said Thursday that an assault could begin in April or May, though military experts and Iraqi commanders have questioned whether the country’s ground forces would be ready.

Map and details of area.
The Islamic State ‘caliphate’ is in danger of losing a lifeline - The Washington Post
 
JANFU said:
Iraqi forces prepare for Tikrit offensive - The Washington Post

“It will be a very hard fight,” said Jassim al-Jabara, head of the security committee for the Salahuddin provincial council, which urged remaining civilians to leave Tikrit and nearby al-Alam, ad Dawr and al-Bouajil. The operation will begin “very soon,” he said. Sheik Jassim al-Saidi, a commander with Kitaeb Hezbollah, and other militia leaders said the offensive could take 10 days .

In January, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi told Reuters that a campaign to retake Tikrit would be launched within a month. He said then that there was no timeline for an attack on Mosul, which requires more planning. A U.S. Central Command official said Thursday that an assault could begin in April or May, though military experts and Iraqi commanders have questioned whether the country’s ground forces would be ready.

Map and details of area.
The Islamic State ‘caliphate’ is in danger of losing a lifeline - The Washington Post
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wow... kind of starting to look like an attack on multiple fronts to spread their support thin.
 
poweRob said:
wow... kind of starting to look like an attack on multiple fronts to spread their support thin.
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Cuts them down the middle. That also entails Iraqi's holding and widening the area. The area around Al Qaim could be a problem though.
Possible they would use the Shia Militia to head towards Baji in conjunction with the push on Mosul.
But Al Qaim is a weak point.
 
JANFU said:
Cuts them down the middle. That also entails Iraqi's holding and widening the area. The area around Al Qaim could be a problem though.
Possible they would use the Shia Militia to head towards Baji in conjunction with the push on Mosul.
But Al Qaim is a weak point.
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Makes announcing the attack bemoaned in the OP kind of strategically relevant now.
 
poweRob said:
Makes announcing the attack bemoaned in the OP kind of strategically relevant now.
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The have been trying to make progress in the Tikrit are for some time.
Iraqi Army Starts Assault to Dislodge ISIL Militants - Bloomberg Business

Security Forces start attacking ISIL terrorists in southern Tikrit - Iraqi News

An interactive map
Wikimapia - Let's describe the whole world!

You may be interested in this site? Blog, but sound information.
And as mentioned previously, the Shia Militias while better trained/motivated and imho have first crack at weapons, have had better success but are a growing problem. They do not fall under Govt control. And till they do, and have their death squads halted, the numbers of Sunni open to working with the Govt will not be substantial.
Institute for the Study of War Iraq Updates: Iraq Situation Report: February 19-20, 2015
Key takeaway

A new political crisis is brewing in Iraq as Sunni political leaders are threatening to boycott the Council of Representatives. Reconciliation of Sunni political and tribal leaders is an essential prerequisite for reconstituting the Iraqi state. Iraq's Prime Minister, Haidar al-Abadi, made some significant attempts to reach out to and reconcile with Sunni political and tribal leaders. Notably, he and the Council of Ministers initiated a vote on the National Guard Law and the Justice and Accountability Law on February 3, the passing of which was a key promise that brought the Sunnis into his government in September of 2014. However, Prime Minister Abadi's inability to control the Shi’a militias is undermining his credibility and the coherence of the Iraqi state.

Sunni Iraqi MPs boycott parliament after tribal chief killed | Daily Mail Online
Iraqi Sunni lawmakers said Sunday they were boycotting parliament after the killing of a senior tribal leader was blamed on Shiite militia, sparking fresh tensions between the two communities.
The boycott comes weeks after suspected Shiite gunmen in January killed three Sunni clerics in Basra, a majority Shiite southern province, triggered outrage in a country mired in sectarian violence.
Sheikh Qassem Sweidan al-Janabi, his son and seven bodyguards were killed by gunmen after their convoy was ambushed late Friday in Baghdad, with most shot in the head, members of his tribe have said.
 
MMC said:
Well, you did and your post with what you had to say was shown for viewers.
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Did I? I want you to show where. Can you show where? :) MMC, your narrative is weakened by the fact that you yourself agreed that ISIL would already be doing these things regardless of whether we played a role or not. It was simply logical. If you want to ignore your own words, that's fine. Just don't try and claim something that isn't there. It's poor form. :)
 
apdst said:
D-day was secret. Objectives, timelines, axes of advance, etc. were all secret.
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Different times, different war, different enemy, different objective.


The fact that Mosul is mostly Sunni is a bigger problem than announcing a time frame for attack, imo. So really, the only question worth asking, imo, is if the Iraq army is ready, willing and capable to take Mosul and keep it? If ISIS thinks the Iraq army is weak then that could be used to their favor...so says Sun Tzu.


At least this time, the US seems to know the difference between Sunni and Shia. Not knowing the enemy was US biggest mistake in Iraq...so says Sun Tzu.
 
Moot said:
Different times, different war, different enemy, different objective.


The fact that Mosul is mostly Sunni is a bigger problem than announcing a time frame for attack, imo. So really, the only question worth asking, imo, is if the Iraq army is ready, willing and capable to take Mosul and keep it? If ISIS thinks the Iraq army is weak then that could be used to their favor...so says Sun Tzu.


At least this time, the US seems to know the difference between Sunni and Shia. Not knowing the enemy was US biggest mistake in Iraq...so says Sun Tzu.
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Tooooooooo funny!! (I mean not really but, hope you get the point)
 
The administration's admission of strategic goals is fine. They are already known. The release of tactical information is absolute foolishness and irresponsible.
 
humbolt said:
The administration's admission of strategic goals is fine. They are already known. The release of tactical information is absolute foolishness and irresponsible.
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Unless it is disinformation?
 
Moot said:
Different times, different war, different enemy, different objective.


The fact that Mosul is mostly Sunni is a bigger problem than announcing a time frame for attack, imo. So really, the only question worth asking, imo, is if the Iraq army is ready, willing and capable to take Mosul and keep it? If ISIS thinks the Iraq army is weak then that could be used to their favor...so says Sun Tzu.


At least this time, the US seems to know the difference between Sunni and Shia. Not knowing the enemy was US biggest mistake in Iraq...so says Sun Tzu.
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Well, the element of surprise no longer exists, so that's one less advantage they have.

War is war and the element of surprise never loses its value.w
 
apdst said:
Well, the element of surprise no longer exists, so that's one less advantage they have.

War is war and the element of surprise never loses its value.w
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Well, maybe the Iraq army will surprise us all and do what they were trained to do.
 
Moot said:
Well, maybe the Iraq army will surprise us all and do what they were trained to do.
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Taking advantage of the element of surprise is a part of the package. Obama let those soldiers down by announcing the launch date and organizational information of the offensive.
 
apdst said:
Taking advantage of the element of surprise is a part of the package. Obama let those soldiers down by announcing the launch date and organizational information of the offensive.
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The best time to attack is in spring because it's too hot in summer. That's not a secret to anyone least of all ISIS. They know the US is training Iraqi military to attack them. So they must've had some clue of an impending attack on Mosul even without the big announcement. It's a mistake to think they're stupid. But I agree, the element of surprise is definitely an asset. But the US still doesn't know who to trust over there so I don't know how a major military campaign using mostly Iraqis to take back a city with a population of 1 million could be kept a secret. Perhaps the surprise will come in the form of a ....nahhh.
 
Moot said:
The best time to attack is in spring because it's too hot in summer. That's not a secret to anyone least of all ISIS. They know the US is training Iraqi military to attack them. So they must've had some clue of an impending attack on Mosul even without the big announcement. It's a mistake to think they're stupid. But I agree, the element of surprise is definitely an asset. But the US still doesn't know who to trust over there so I don't know how a major military campaign using mostly Iraqis to take back a city with a population of 1 million could be kept a secret. Perhaps the surprise will come in the form of a ....nahhh.
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The best time for a civilian to attack is the worst time for a soldier to attack.

Surprise is priceless in war.

Sure, Mosul may be an obvious target, but you don't confirm those suspicions and give them your time framer and order of battle. That diabolically stupid.
 
Moot said:
Well, maybe the Iraq army will surprise us all and do what they were trained to do.
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They didn't do it last time.

Their leaders should never had been fired. That country seems doomed without us.
 
apdst said:
The best time for a civilian to attack is the worst time for a soldier to attack.

Surprise is priceless in war.

Sure, Mosul may be an obvious target, but you don't confirm those suspicions and give them your time framer and order of battle. That diabolically stupid.
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I don't understand...what civilian attack?

Yes, it's great to have surprise, but if you don't have it then you have to do something else. So what something else do you think they should do?

Here's how I sorta envision the battle for Mosul: The US goes in first with a bombing campaign to take out their armored weapons such as tanks, trucks and whatnot. Soften them up so to speak. Meanwhile, ISIS are going to rig IEDs all over the city and hide among the civilians. Then the Iraq military moves in for the search and kill backed up by NATO or US air support. That's going to take awhile. Meanwhile, the Kurds guard the northern western borders to keep ISIS from escaping in that direction and the US guards the main roads to the east and south toward Baghdad to keep them from escaping in that direction. Easy peasy. lol jk
 
Moot said:
I don't understand...what civilian attack?
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Civilians are typically unfamiliar with what Liddel Hart called, "the indirect approach", which refers to attacking at a time and places that the enemy least expects. Your suggestion that attacking during optimum weather conditions violates that premise.

Yes, it's great to have surprise, but if you don't have it then you have to do something else. So what something else do you think they should do?
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They shouldn't have broadcast their ****ing intentions!

Here's how I sorta envision the battle for Mosul: The US goes in first with a bombing campaign to take out their armored weapons such as tanks, trucks and whatnot. Soften them up so to speak. Meanwhile, ISIS are going to rig IEDs all over the city and hide among the civilians. Then the Iraq military moves in for the search and kill backed up by NATO or US air support. That's going to take awhile. Meanwhile, the Kurds guard the northern western borders to keep ISIS from escaping in that direction and the US guards the main roads to the east and south toward Baghdad to keep them from escaping in that direction. Easy peasy. lol jk
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I'm glad you're kidding, because that's quite an idiotic scenario.
 
apdst said:
Civilians are typically unfamiliar with what Liddel Hart called, "the indirect approach", which refers to attacking at a time and places that the enemy least expects. Your suggestion that attacking during optimum weather conditions violates that premise.
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The Iraq Invasion was planned for March and the whole world knew about it months in advance. So what did Liddel Hart have to say about that?

They shouldn't have broadcast their ****ing intentions!
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Coulda, shoulda, woulda. Suppose it was a fake announcement and they attack next week instead of next month or don't attack at all and just hold siege to the city. Would that be a surprise?


I'm glad you're kidding, because that's quite an idiotic scenario.
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Well, it was basically the Iraq invasion in a nut shell.
 
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