Ref < We essentially by-passed every city we could, even very small ones >
We tried the pure bypass strategy and it did not work and the offensive stalled.
We finally had to take al Nassarya, which was the key, and then we took Najaf also. Taking Nassrya secured the supply line coming in from the nearby Tallil Air base, allowed the crossing of the Euprates River, which opened the way for two more prongs of the assault. Then Al Kut fell, allowing the Marines to come in from across the Tigris, and Baghdad was caught in the jaws of the nutcracker.
Bypass could have worked if the Iraqi troops had panicked and surrendered. That did not happen, and so the plan had to be altered. If Nassrya had fallen on the first attack, just after the fall of the Tallil Airbase, then the campaign would not have stalled for several days.
However Karbala and several smaller cities were sucessfuly bypassed.
Ref - Basra is not the port city. Umr Kassir is only port for Iraq,and so it was an obvious target and Saddam strengthened its defenses heavily. Basra blocked the way to Baghdad, and was strengthened, and did not fall as easily as expected.
Historically Basra was the largest port in the Gulf. Not so today. To acess Basra you have to enter the Shatt al Arab which lies within hostile Iran. I believe that Saddam attacked Iran in 1980, to take over this strategic waterway and give Basra an unhindered outlet to the sea. |
