My Own Iraq Study Group
December 11th, 2006 at 8:05 pm (Uncategorized)
This morning, my wife started crying when we listened to the long-awaited findings of the Iraq Study Group.
She said, “Just great! We have two sons in harm’s way, and they have a bunch of gray-haired old geezers with political agendas trying to influence how they will fight in this war, and none of them have a clue how to fight or win!”
For some time now, I have been conducting my own Iraq Study Group, but I asked fellow Green Berets and former Green Berets working for the CIA who have lived with the Iraqi and the Afghani people, men of the US Army Special Forces, the highest trained military unit in the world, who are experienced at training people to fight their own battles. WE DO NOT NEED AN IRAQ STUDY GROUP. We need to use the resources we already have and do things right, and we will most definitely win in
Based on my
Tariq and Abdullah ran through the alleyway between the rows of high buildings in
The story and names are fictional but the strategy is very real, but easy to overcome. One major solution is to move all military headquarters out of the cities and into the desert, so that insurgents firing mortars or rockets at the
The other solution to this scenario is also common sense. By far and away, the largest percentage of our soldiers who are killed or wounded are the victims of IED’s, Improvised Explosive Devices. We were supposed to learn from the lessons of
In another fictional, but very typical anecdote, Special Forces Sergeant First Class Jones, serving in Basrah as a team weapons sergeant, had worked with one neighborhood in particular and was really getting to know the citizenry who were starting to trust him and were bringing him intelligence on a steady basis. It also helped that he and his teammates dressed like Iraqis and spent money in the struggling stores in the neighborhood. One of those stores was owned by Muhammad who supported his family of 7 and his late-brother’s family of 5 and all lived in the same little house. He was a Sunni and his brother had been beaten and set on fire by Shiites. The A-Detachment members realized that the Sunnis and Shias have been killing each other for centuries, so they befriended both groups separately, learned how to interact with both, and did not ever try to force them to act like good friends.
Then a new conventional armored
He said, “Captain, your unit is working OPCON to mine (Under Operational Control) and your men do not look like soldiers. They are to wear proper battledress from now and will be clean-shaven with haircuts that are high and tight. The ABC reporter we have imbedded with us could not believe it when I told him your men are Green Berets.”
The captain argued with the colonel for five minutes to no avail. Then later that week, when Muhammad was ready to leave for work to support the 13 in his household, the armored unit got a report of insurgents in the neighborhood. They immediately sent two Abrams tanks to the opposite corners of the walled neighborhood, while a ground force worked its way towards them. The two tanks churned up the asphalt in the road, so Muhammad could not get his flimsy car to even drive down his own street to go to his own store. The long barrel on one of the main battle tanks, while the turret swiveled around, totally demolished the privacy wall built by Muhammad’s second cousin behind his house.
Then, Muhammad and his two teen-aged sons, who were working to help support the large brood as Iraqi police officers on graveyard shift, as well as all other IAAM’s, (Iraqi Army-Aged Males) were rounded up and herded into the playground of the local school. The men understood this, but their little children did not when they were taken from their homes like prisoners. Then the
On top of that, the team commander got a call from his B-team commanding officer located in an air-conditioned office in the Green Zone. The Lieutenant Colonel chewed out the captain for not conforming to the rules set down by the Basrah commander. The captain argued his case, which fell on deaf ears, as the lieutenant colonel had just gotten an earful from a Marine general in charge of that part of the country.
The solutions to these scenarios are also common sense and simple to execute. We spend millions of dollars to qualify and train each Special Forces operator (Green Beret). They are very well-trained to conduct a counterinsurgency war, plus are trained in direct action missions, as well as civil affairs and psychological operations. FOLLOW THEIR LEAD. Do not make them serve OPCON, or under operational control to a conventional unit that is not trained in counter-insurgency warfare. The entire country of
Instead, use conventional forces as a Quick Reaction Force in the same way that the 5th Special Forces Group used Mobile Strike Forces in
The
It is frequently mentioned that Usama bin Laden has become a non-factor in the Global War on Terrorism. No, I am sorry, he is not. He and al-Zawahiri are heroes to the jihadists who are totally bent on our demise. One of the most important psychological aspects to winning a war is the live action game of Capture the Flag. The “flag” in this war has two banners: Usama bin Laden and al-Zawahiri. Both must be found and taken out, period. They have both sworn not to be taken alive. So let us happily give them their wish. They do not need to be in prison cells, waiting for their day in court, so we can prove we are civil, and they can play the world media. Kill them. That will knock the wind out of the al-Qaida. Those two are the symbols of hope and power to the al-Qaida.
It is also incredibly important to “Know thy enemy.” The al-Qaida is not jealous of
They must be killed or conquered, period, and to that end we absolutely must fight to win the war, not friends. If a sniper shoots an American from a rooftop, level the building. If insurgents kill Americans then hide in a mosque, turn the mosque into rubble, and let a politician apologize later. And in doing this, we must understand an important principle. YOU CANNOT WIN A WAR WITH SUPPLIES FROM WAL-MART. This war will never be won by fighting on the cheap. Do what it takes to win quickly and decisively regardless of the price tag. The long term is the real drain on our resolve and our cash reserves.
This includes no more Mr. Nice Guy with
Psychological operations are a major part of the Global War on Terrorism, and the al-Qaida have learned very effectively how to play some of the
And we have to start publicizing our successes in
So many more men and women become general officers now with an eye on politics after their military careers end. They used to fade away, but now they run for office. If we want to win, there can be no more one-upsmanship with the
Additionally, Generals are only told whatever will keep the briefers from getting in trouble. If you really want to know how to improve things to win, don’t ask a general, ask his sergeant major.
We can, must, and will win this war in
I spoke on the phone to a woman who was right there on the flight on November 27, 2006, when the
Nobody ever tries to break into my house or steal my property, or even consider it, because everybody knows they will be shot and killed, period. No conversation, just double taps-center mass, and lots of blood to clean up. My country should always be regarded with that kind of respect, and if it is not, it is indeed our fault.
She said, “Just great! We have two sons in harm’s way, and they have a bunch of gray-haired old geezers with political agendas trying to influence how they will fight in this war, and none of them have a clue how to fight or win!”
For some time now, I have been conducting my own Iraq Study Group, but I asked fellow Green Berets and former Green Berets working for the CIA who have lived with the Iraqi and the Afghani people, men of the US Army Special Forces, the highest trained military unit in the world, who are experienced at training people to fight their own battles. WE DO NOT NEED AN IRAQ STUDY GROUP. We need to use the resources we already have and do things right, and we will most definitely win in
Based on my
Tariq and Abdullah ran through the alleyway between the rows of high buildings in
The story and names are fictional but the strategy is very real, but easy to overcome. One major solution is to move all military headquarters out of the cities and into the desert, so that insurgents firing mortars or rockets at the
The other solution to this scenario is also common sense. By far and away, the largest percentage of our soldiers who are killed or wounded are the victims of IED’s, Improvised Explosive Devices. We were supposed to learn from the lessons of
In another fictional, but very typical anecdote, Special Forces Sergeant First Class Jones, serving in Basrah as a team weapons sergeant, had worked with one neighborhood in particular and was really getting to know the citizenry who were starting to trust him and were bringing him intelligence on a steady basis. It also helped that he and his teammates dressed like Iraqis and spent money in the struggling stores in the neighborhood. One of those stores was owned by Muhammad who supported his family of 7 and his late-brother’s family of 5 and all lived in the same little house. He was a Sunni and his brother had been beaten and set on fire by Shiites. The A-Detachment members realized that the Sunnis and Shias have been killing each other for centuries, so they befriended both groups separately, learned how to interact with both, and did not ever try to force them to act like good friends.
Then a new conventional armored
He said, “Captain, your unit is working OPCON to mine (Under Operational Control) and your men do not look like soldiers. They are to wear proper battledress from now and will be clean-shaven with haircuts that are high and tight. The ABC reporter we have imbedded with us could not believe it when I told him your men are Green Berets.”
The captain argued with the colonel for five minutes to no avail. Then later that week, when Muhammad was ready to leave for work to support the 13 in his household, the armored unit got a report of insurgents in the neighborhood. They immediately sent two Abrams tanks to the opposite corners of the walled neighborhood, while a ground force worked its way towards them. The two tanks churned up the asphalt in the road, so Muhammad could not get his flimsy car to even drive down his own street to go to his own store. The long barrel on one of the main battle tanks, while the turret swiveled around, totally demolished the privacy wall built by Muhammad’s second cousin behind his house.
Then, Muhammad and his two teen-aged sons, who were working to help support the large brood as Iraqi police officers on graveyard shift, as well as all other IAAM’s, (Iraqi Army-Aged Males) were rounded up and herded into the playground of the local school. The men understood this, but their little children did not when they were taken from their homes like prisoners. Then the
On top of that, the team commander got a call from his B-team commanding officer located in an air-conditioned office in the Green Zone. The Lieutenant Colonel chewed out the captain for not conforming to the rules set down by the Basrah commander. The captain argued his case, which fell on deaf ears, as the lieutenant colonel had just gotten an earful from a Marine general in charge of that part of the country.
The solutions to these scenarios are also common sense and simple to execute. We spend millions of dollars to qualify and train each Special Forces operator (Green Beret). They are very well-trained to conduct a counterinsurgency war, plus are trained in direct action missions, as well as civil affairs and psychological operations. FOLLOW THEIR LEAD. Do not make them serve OPCON, or under operational control to a conventional unit that is not trained in counter-insurgency warfare. The entire country of
Instead, use conventional forces as a Quick Reaction Force in the same way that the 5th Special Forces Group used Mobile Strike Forces in
The
It is frequently mentioned that Usama bin Laden has become a non-factor in the Global War on Terrorism. No, I am sorry, he is not. He and al-Zawahiri are heroes to the jihadists who are totally bent on our demise. One of the most important psychological aspects to winning a war is the live action game of Capture the Flag. The “flag” in this war has two banners: Usama bin Laden and al-Zawahiri. Both must be found and taken out, period. They have both sworn not to be taken alive. So let us happily give them their wish. They do not need to be in prison cells, waiting for their day in court, so we can prove we are civil, and they can play the world media. Kill them. That will knock the wind out of the al-Qaida. Those two are the symbols of hope and power to the al-Qaida.
It is also incredibly important to “Know thy enemy.” The al-Qaida is not jealous of
They must be killed or conquered, period, and to that end we absolutely must fight to win the war, not friends. If a sniper shoots an American from a rooftop, level the building. If insurgents kill Americans then hide in a mosque, turn the mosque into rubble, and let a politician apologize later. And in doing this, we must understand an important principle. YOU CANNOT WIN A WAR WITH SUPPLIES FROM WAL-MART. This war will never be won by fighting on the cheap. Do what it takes to win quickly and decisively regardless of the price tag. The long term is the real drain on our resolve and our cash reserves.
This includes no more Mr. Nice Guy with
Psychological operations are a major part of the Global War on Terrorism, and the al-Qaida have learned very effectively how to play some of the
And we have to start publicizing our successes in
So many more men and women become general officers now with an eye on politics after their military careers end. They used to fade away, but now they run for office. If we want to win, there can be no more one-upsmanship with the
Additionally, Generals are only told whatever will keep the briefers from getting in trouble. If you really want to know how to improve things to win, don’t ask a general, ask his sergeant major.
We can, must, and will win this war in
I spoke on the phone to a woman who was right there on the flight on November 27, 2006, when the
Nobody ever tries to break into my house or steal my property, or even consider it, because everybody knows they will be shot and killed, period. No conversation, just double taps-center mass, and lots of blood to clean up. My country should always be regarded with that kind of respect, and if it is not, it is indeed our fault.
