Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: D. Long who wrote (41309)	9/2/2002 10:15:45 AM
From: BigBull	Respond to of 281500

Iraqis were deserting in large numbers before the ground campaign started. The Iraqi army that faced allied forces in the ground war was much smaller than the one sent into Kuwait. The devastating effect of tactical air at the battle of Kafji and the newly created technique of using F111's for blowing up armor at night demoralized an already skittish Iraqi army. Tactical air missions didn't really get going until well into the air war. During the Afghan campaign the Talibs were actually dumb enough to array themselves in trenches before Kabul. B-52 raids were very effective in annihilating these troops or in driving them off. NA troops practically walked into Kabul as the Talibs abandoned it. A central battle of the Afghan campaign took place around Hamid Karzai's forces somewhere near Kandahar (as I recall). The talilbs send a convoy of their armed toyotas to wipe out Karzai's forces but instead were wiped out by the US Air Force and Navy(?) planes spotted by US special forces. After that battle, imo the Talibs knew the jig was up and started making plans to head for the hills. I agree that the Air Force claims that strategic bombing can effect "regime changes" are very overstated. Those claims were proven wrong in the Gulf war. But, imo US air power had one hell of a lot to do with the Talibs and Iraqi army not having much of a stomach for fighting by the time they engaged opposing armor and infantry. Imo the decisive role of air power on the modern battlefield is certainly not being so easily dismissed by Saddam these days. He knows that war in the cities is the only prayer his army has.