Iraqi tactics - Post your critics here

[SlowwHand]

In an effort for equal representation:

I'll start by criticising them for putting civilian clothes over their uniforms as well as for imbeddng themselves in cities, therefore putting civilians at risk.



Next?

[Solver]

Putting civilians at risk is an integral part of their tactics...

[Jack_www]

yeah their only hope for surviving the next day is hidding in the cities and pretending they are civilians. They cant match US airpower, so they have to hide in places were there are lots of civilians.

[SlowwHand]

That certainly makes it more acceptable.

[Solver]

IF Iraq had airpower, US wouldn't have it so easy anymore...

[SlowwHand]

[Jaakko]

Iraqi guerrilla tactics are pretty good, from a military point of view. Ethically they are quite nasty, but AFAIK not prohibited by the Geneva treaty, apart from using civilians as shields.

Now, the two armoured columns they sent out of the cities, those were plain stupid. The tanks that are now destroyed could have caused a lot of grief to the coalition forces if they were dug in prepared positions instead.

[Flubber]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
That certainly makes it more acceptable.

I find Iraqi tactics to range from questionable to blatantly unacceptable but they seem to be effective.

By effective I mean that their tactics are probably the best chance they have to maximize US casualties while slowing the advance and attempting to sway world opinion. Facing superior technology and firepower they have chosen perhaps the best available options to them.

Perhaps they should have knocked down a few key bridges but other than that, I see little else they could have done to slow the advance so far.

[BeBMan]

I'll start by criticising them for putting civilian clothes over their uniforms as well as for imbeddng themselves in cities, therefore putting civilians at risk.

Of course it´s absolutely brutal, but from the Saddam´s POV it makes sense. They can´t match coalition troops in open battle, so they´re trying dirty tricks. One can only hope that is doesn´t cost too many civilian lives.

OTOH one of the most stupid things I saw was the move of those 14 (?) Iraqi tanks (I heard T54´s) south of Basra - did they really think they could achieve anything against those British Challengers? This looked like a suicidal move from the very start...

[Jack_www]

I would set up anti tank guns in bunkers arround the cities and wait for the American tanks to come into range and try to take them out with that. Also try setting up machine guns as well to try to take them out when they start to advance toward the city. I would also place snipers in as many buildings as I could to try to pick the troops off one by one.

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Jack_www
I would set up anti tank guns in bunkers arround the cities and wait for the American tanks to come into range and try to take them out with that. Also try setting up machine guns as well to try to take them out when they start to advance toward the city. I would also place snipers in as many buildings as I could to try to pick the troops off one by one.

These are all things that I assume they have done in their current tactics. My assumption is that the US will find a small tank, RPG or machine gun emplacement around every corner. Even in cities I believe that major concentrations of defenses would be an error given the possibilities of precision bombing. The Iraqis will also use subterranean defenses. US troops will never know when someone might be in tunnels and pop up unexpectedly.

Also are there any evidence of major minefields on land ??

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Jaakko
Ethically they are quite nasty, but AFAIK not prohibited by the Geneva treaty, apart from using civilians as shields.

We also have the feigned surrenders and probably undertaking attacks in civilian dress.

[SlowwHand]

No "probably" to it.

[Bosh]

From an effectiveness standpoint, Iraqi tactics seem to have been decent so far. Would probably have taken a more scorched-earth approach in Saddam's shoes if anything.

[DanS]

He probably was planning on it, but the US stopped the worst capabilities (oil wells, dams).