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The taking of Baghdad- Do the Allies know what to do?

It seems that the worst case scenario drawn by the Allies is coming true. Saddam's regime hasn't crumbled, uprisings have not materialised, the Iraqis are putting up a fight rather fiercer than the US and Britain had hoped for and the reception from the civilian population hasn't been the 'flowers and smiles' predicted. So, it looks like they're going to have to get in themselves to 'liberate' Baghdad.

Will they send foot soldiers to remove soldiers and fighters loyal to Saddam house by house? Will they siege the city and cut all supplies hoping for a surrender when the food runs out? Or will they simply continue bombing the city and hope to eliminate all resistance from the air?

Neither of those scenarios is a pretty one and casualties on both sides and on the civilian population are likely to be very high. There is still a chance that the regime will crumble and we see an Afghanistan-style implosion- which would by far be the least bloody outcome. But the chances of that are not great.

In any case the Allies should reconsider the now constant bombing of Baghdad as it is achieving very little militarily (how many times can you bomb an empty shell of a building?) and causing many unnecessary civilian casualties. Not to mention increasing the anti-American and British sentiment across the Muslim and Arab worlds and the defiance of the Iraqi population.
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Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    They have taken over the “bath” (sp?) party headquarters, Hopefully that will have the names and address etc etc of all the members, once they know who is loyal to Saddam they will eliminate them from the air or ground.

    You take out the hardcore fanaticism fanatics and the rest should crumble. *In theory anyway*

    Although this war doesn’t seem to be going as they might have expected, it’s still very early!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Unfortunately bombs cannot target a guy living in one apartment and leave the rest unscratched. Each of the guided bombs the Allies are using will take out a whole block and everyone in it. So if you have a couple of thousand party members living spread across the city, taking them out would in practice mean destroying the whole place.

    The best chance now would be to obtain credible confirmation Saddam is dead and take out the remaining officers. But since convincing the Iraqi public of the former will be rather difficult and achieving the latter a long and arduous work, the regime would hold on for quite some time yet.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    The problem in that way of thinking Harmless is that the Baath Party had long ago hegemonised the voting population inscribing a significant portion of the population itself. So in point of fact, whether they exercise any vote or not, any such lists would reflect the universal subscription of the Iraqi population to the Baath register.

    Essentially youd be suggesting that we massacre most of the civilian population? That would forever eliminate any possible credence the "coalition of the bought" hope to gain in the eyes of the Iraqis as well as the much broader Islamic world.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I see what your saying Clandestine, But I dare say The regime must have secret papers/ documents of real hardcore supporters at the HQs….

    And well we all know that we’ll need to send troops in the city, the way I see it…..

    If you have the addresses of saddams’s major key followers, you don’t need any bombs, Troops will be able to go in there in APCs and with tanks and do raids on the address

    Surprise attacks on major key followers would send bigger shockwaves mentally into “The regime” then any bombs would. They’d be in fear because we know where they live!

    Yes, people would be killed. Such is war. But not as much as bombs and missiles!

    Yeah, I know this is speculation and hypothesising on my part! Sorry, Bored at work
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    We have special ops troops, many are Arab Americans, who are working inside Baghdad and Basra. That's why the Allied bombing only blows up the strategic buildings where the leaders or leading Iraqi soldiers are. This weekend, Saddam had the guy in charge of his missles killed for their inaccuracy. (Don't know if that was because of the market thing or Kuwaiti mall bombing.)
    Some Iraqi generals are working with us too. Others are being assinated by Special Ops troops. If our troops go in, it might not be street-to-street. They may land on roof tops, flush out the Guard and shoot THEM like snipers from the roof tops.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Considering the number of highly inaccurate or plain untrue statements given by Blair's government in the last 11 days I would not jump to conclusions too quickly when we're told Saddam has fired (not killed) his Air Defence chief.

    Given that the US and Britain are desperately trying to shake off claims that an allied missile was responsible for the two market explosions that killed 80+, the disclosure of that information plays very nicely into their hands.

    It is not just the Guard Allied soldiers would be fighting... there are many plain clothes fighters loyal to Saddam. They don't obey direct orders but simply are found all over the city armed with assault rifles. The best option would be for the Iraqi population to rebel against these people. The Allies had been counting on this and I think they've been surprised to see much higher levels of loyalty to Saddam than hoped for.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I wouldnt say that the resistance connotes specific loyalty to Saddam but rather the more widespread nationalism which the coalition of the bought foolishly underestimated (as they have demonstrated to a high degree both prior to and in the midst of the current invasion).

    All told, we are the invaders in their land, however they might feel about Saddam, and the message sent by Dubyah and co is that we can come in and solve all their problems - a suggestion which even the very history of that country makes rather laughable.

    Heck if I were an Iraqi Id likely take a shot or two myself after being deprived of sleep for over a week by incessant bombing raids. :rolleyes:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Clandestine
    Heck if I were an Iraqi Id likely take a shot or two myself after being deprived of sleep

    Or of a relative...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    seeing as rumsfeld and his pig ignorant playmates have made such a big cock up the answer is no they haven't a fucking clue what to do. i have seen the future brother, it is murder! when i go to the pub on friday i'm going to put my money where my mouth is. someones running a book on the war. i'm putting a hundred quid on us pulling out of a bloodbath. retreating in chaos
    and humiliation. thats what i see. the whole thing is madness run by fools so our chances of winning are very slim.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I must say that i don't agree with you MR, I cannot see Bush or Blair pulling out until Saddam is defeated, whatever the price.........
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Toadborg
    I must say that i don't agree with you MR, I cannot see Bush or Blair pulling out until Saddam is defeated, whatever the price.........

    Agreed. They both have far too much political capital invested in winning this war to pull out.
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