Iraqi tactics - Post your critics here

[DaShi]

Originally posted by Boshko
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.

Yeah, Saddam's not so bad. Sure he's using civilians as shields and torturing POWs, but he hasn't used nerve gas yet. He's alright in my book.

[GePap]

Militarilly speaking, trying to attack US forces from pickup trucks and other lgith vehicles armed with machineguns is a waste of men and resources. They also seem to be moving a lot at times when it simly invites thier destruction.

As or all the guerrila and irregular tactics being used, as well as those that put civilains at risk: they are imoral, but just the thing this regime has to do to survive and increase the political causes for the US, so as far as tactics that will help you go, they are "sound".

[DaShi]

How about dressing up as US and UK soldiers so you can shoot civilians? Is that something a regime should do to survive?

[Jaakko]

Originally posted by DinoDoc

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

Yeah, I was referring to those as well. It seems that troops undertaking such tactics don't necessarily qualify for POW status, but otherwise it's a legitimate tactic for a defending guerrilla force.

At least that was the opinion of several articles I read, but I'm not certain that it's true. In fact some commentary on the subject would be interesting.

[SlowwHand]

So a question goes to those that think Hussein is doing what is required, even if it means hiding as Civilians.

What will be your opinion when Coalition Command decides enough is enough, and is less discriminate in their fire?

[MarBaS]

If we drop a acuple nukes on them, then everything will be fine

[Inverse Icarus]

i've stated this a thousand times. "rules of war" is perhaps the biggest oxymoron i have ever heard.

when it comes to the bottom line, everything looks out for it's own survival. whether it be a life, a species, or in this case, a regime.

if the Iraqis want to fight, they're going to fight on their terms.

We can sit on high and criticize them for using dirty tricks, only because we have the upper hand. everybody knows if the Iraqis and the Americans / British met face to face in a "clean, formal war", the Iraqis would lose hands down, and the allies would probably take very few casualities.

The Iraqis are dying. they know they can't win. they're just doing whatever they can to stay alive, and to hurt their killers as much as possible before they die.

i'm sure America would do the same thing if we were in a similiar suitation, but we have never been in one. One could argue the Revolutionary War, but even then, we weren't completely outclassed by the Brits. And i'm sure if you looked hard enough, you would find Americans wearing civilian clothing (whether it be a ruse, or simply because they don't have uniforms), whatever.

Back then, wars were much more formal anyway. Know why? because they were mostly fought between white people. it was infighting. we are all brothers at heart.

when the "differences" in the opposing sides get larger and larger, the people don't see eachother as brothers anymore. we are the infadels, they are the butchers of baghdad.

A Brit didn't really want to see a Yankee die back in the revolutionary war, but it had to be done. It was done as "clean cut" as possible.

Nowadays, anyone will do anything to survive.

[Jaakko]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
So a question goes to those that think Hussein is doing what is required, even if it means hiding as Civilians.

What will be your opinion when Coalition Command decides enough is enough, and is less discriminate in their fire?

Saddam will try every dirty trick in the book to slow down the Coalition, as every cornered animal does. And it does not help that he is a brutal dictator to boot. It's naive to believe otherwise.

And when Coalition Command decided to be less discriminating, they will suffer the mother of all PR defeats. Not only will Iraqi resistance stiffen, it will further sour the US' relations with other Arab countries, and might even result in the fall of pro-US governments in the region.

[Andrew1999]

By the way, the irregular forces have a name now. They're "terrorist death squads", according to Gen. Brooks in Qatar.

[SlowwHand]

Edit part 2, to fix what my flying phalanges messed up, then my inabilty to spell.
Sorry about that, UberKrux.




No, it's not, UberKrux.

And why aren't the enviromentalist groups banging their heads over all the pollution Hussein is causing, I'm reminded.

[Inverse Icarus]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
No, it's not, UberCrud.

And why aren't the enviromentalist groups banging their heads over all the pollution Hussein is causing, I'm reminded.

oh, i love that too. it's becaus saddam is the innocent victim of american imperialism remember?

[Kontiki]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
And why aren't the enviromentalist groups banging their heads over all the pollution Hussein is causing, I'm reminded.

Maybe because Saddam isn't the leader of a highly industrialized western country whose leadership is committing itself to some measure of environmental protection?

Or maybe it's just because some idiots can't see that if you're going to take the moral high road on something, you'd better back it up, and that just because there are worse offenders out there, your actions shouldn't be held to scrutiny.

[SlowwHand]

What's your point?

[Sandman]

Iraq's main failing so far has been to fail to totally blow up the bridges. They've damaged some, but not critically. I'd like to know where their airforce is, as well.

They should also have tried to seize that downed Apache and tried to fix it, or failing that, flogged it on the international black market.

The faulty english of the interviewer of the POWs was not up to scratch. They should have got a better speaker to do the interviews.

[Pekka]

I haven't completely figured out their strategy yet, I refuse to believe that they do the obvious thing, lure coalition forces to fight with their terms, keep out from open desert battles and focus ambusing convoys and waiting for battle in cities.. This is too obvious, so I'm still waiting for their special winning strategies. They will fail, but I still wonder..

They are doing some guerilla tactics, using civilian clothes and those things, I think it's ok. Don't take me wrong here, I don't mean it's good that they kill coalition troops, but if we discuss about their tactics, I think it's the thing to do. They need to continue doing this, get those small victories. If I was them, I'd try even bolder and nastier tricks. But my answer is that I'm still expecting their surprise tactics and them to reveal what they are really trying to do to win this.