Nov 08, 2017 the current shortterm focus on the military defeat of is belies the reality that iraq will retain fragile governance, making it vulnerable to violent extremism. Overall, there are several key lessons to be learned from the past year. Drawing from an extensive cache of captured iraqi government records, this book is the first comprehensive military and strategic account of the war through the lens of the iraqi regime and its senior military commanders. The authors used a treasure trove of original, iraqi documents some 600,000 captured during operation iraqi freedom and thousands of hours of interviews with former iraqi military officials. The iraq war and its lessons for developing local forces. Postsaddam governance and security congressional research service summary the obama administration is facing a security environment in iraq vastly improved over that which prevailed during 20052007, although still not completely peaceful or without potential to deteriorate significantly. Each war teaches the military on both sides strategic, operational, tactical and technical lessons that apply in future wars.
The military lessons of operation iraqi freedom foreign. A military history, by williamson murray and robert h. The iraniraq war is one of the largest, yet least documented conflicts in the history of the middle east. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Marines were deployed to the anbar province in western iraq for what was termed a stability operation. Strategy, tactics, and military lessons pdf by anthony. The quiz and worksheet for this lesson have been created to help you learn, understand, and remember the people, places, dates, and events connected to the war in iraq during the early years of. Jan 29, 2005 like north korea, many nations have been preparing guerrilla campaigns for decades. Except in a few neoconservative hideouts, the iraq war is generally regarded as a mistake. Iraq, grand strategy, and the lessons of military history 102104 page 2 one way to learn military history is to live it.
These were overwhelmingly carried out by unknown actors including insurgents, sectarian militias and criminals. In the spring of 2003, a stunned world watched the armed forces of the united. An aptly named simulation of the 19801988 war between iran and iraq. The military war in iraq ended in 2008, although political conflict among sunnis, shiites, and kurds will continue for decades. The military lessons of operation iraqi freedom the initial military phase of operation iraqi freedom has been a stunning success.
Wolfe and holly arrow university of oregon when deployed u. Isis has struck at iraqs civilian population with the clear goal of dividing the country between sunni and shiitealthough one of its three bombs did kill sunnis as well. The gulf war center for strategic and international studies. Iraq appears much more manageable on the ground than it does from afar. Following up on his widely praised 2003 book, the iraq war, anthony cordesman now focuses on the war after the war, the lessons to be learned from the postconflict periods, and how they all fit into the broader context of the continuing war on terrorism. Operation iraqi freedom was carried out with a combination of precision and speed.
In the spring of 2003, a stunned world watched the armed forces of the united states and britain conduct a military campaign against iraq. The frustrations of occupying iraq have obscured the short, sharp military campaign with which the united states and the united kingdom seized the country in the first place. It is important to begin this analysis with an admission of ignorance. Scope this manual starts with an overview of the iraniraq war. In this book, respected military analyst anthony cordesman provides the first. Insights, challenges, and missions for military forces in a postconflict scenario by conrad c.
Strategy, tactics, and military lessons by cordesman, anthony isbn. However, without a real war to fight, it is difficult to know what works and what does not against stateof the art tactics employed by the most highly trained and bestequipped military force in the world. The tactics of the iraqi insurgency have varied widely. However, without a real war to fight, it is difficult to know what works and what does not against stateofthe art tactics employed by the most highly trained and bestequipped military force in the world. Often governments and pundits focus only on lessons having to do with military strategies and tactics, such as. Confounding predictions of failure, the iraqi regime was dismantled, and much of the conventional.
Terrorism, afghanistan, and americas new way of war the iraq war. That median is todays infants and children, who will grow up in a warscarred environment, likely to lack schooling, adequate. Knowledge of the enemy is a sound tenet in the conduct of any military operation. Understanding military strategy and the four levels of war when strategy gets thrown around by politicians and the media, you can bet its being misused. Lessons of the iraq war and its aftermath the washington. Westport, conn praeger, in cooperation with the center for strategic and international studies, 2003.
These lessons from the iran iraq war should be heeded by the u. Multinational force iraq replaced the previous force, combined joint task force 7, on may 15, 2004. Iraq body count project data shows that 33% of civilian deaths during the iraq war resulted from execution after abduction or capture. Rothstein travels to afghanistan and interviews dozens of military personnel at all levels. It is almost as arrogant to rush to judgment on the lessons of a war before all the data on military operations become available as it was to rush to judge the war plan before the success of coalition operations became apparent. Nov 25, 2015 understanding military strategy and the four levels of war when strategy gets thrown around by politicians and the media, you can bet its being misused. The old adage that generals are always fighting the last war derives from the failure to learn appropriate lessons or the failure to apply lessons properly. Dec 07, 2005 each war teaches the military on both sides strategic, operational, tactical and technical lessons that apply in future wars. Terrorism, afghanistan, and americas new way of war.
Cbc an unmanned spy plane called the predator begins flying over afghanistan, showing incomparably detailed realtime video and photographs of the movements of what appears to be bin laden and his aides. The role of airpower in the iraniraq war air university. The regime initiated a total callup of available manpower in 1986. Washington cnn president bush on wednesday said the united states is shifting its. Kidnapping, and in some cases beheadings, have emerged as another insurgent tactic since april 2004. Strategy, tactics, and military lessons foreign affairs. History is filled with efforts to make instant judgments about the lessons of war that proved to be based on. This 8 years war before the fall of saddam hussiens regime undermines the tragedy of the iraqi people 5 years later. Counterinsurgency lessons from iraq article the united. The plans main goal is to halt the progress of the taliban, to reverse it in key areas, and to regain the initiative. Like north korea, many nations have been preparing guerrilla campaigns for decades. Within twentyone days of the start of oif, the army moved into the iraqi capital, baghdad. The multinational force in iraq is a military command led by the united states fighting the iraq war against iraqi insurgents.
In observing air warfare in the third world, military analysts. National strategy for victory in iraq the following document articulates the broad strategy the president set forth in 2003 and provides an update on our progress as well as the challenges remaining. In the spring of 2003, a stunned world watched the armed forces of america and britain conduct a lightninglast military campaign against iraq. The first part of the strategy deemphasizes the counterterrorism strategy and institutes a counterinsurgency strategy. For many reasons, this is not the best way, either in terms of objectivity or in terms of the ability to examine history in the light of a full knowledge of the facts. Iraq learned this lesson when it invaded iran and the soviets declared. Coalition military forces secured iraqs southern oil fields in the early hours of the war. It caused some to wonder if america might lose control of the war. Manosevitz in october 1980, the cia briefed then presidential candidate ronald reagan on the impact of the iraniraq war in the middle east. It is imperative that we strive to comprehend the intricacies of the war in iraqthe achievements and the shortcomingsso that we learn appro priate lessons, correct endemic problems, and improve contingency plans and intelligence collection. But, just as was the case in iraq in 2007, the chances of success in afghanistan depend on a change in military strategy. The end result is at least 93 dead and hundreds of woundedall innocent civilians. Firstly it has shown that increasing troop numbers can constitute the basis for a successful counterinsurgency strategy.
Understanding military strategy and the four levels of war. Relatively low entry costs mean that the diffusion of information technologies is likely to accelerate far more quickly than did nuclear or aerospace weapons. The united states has no intention of determining the precise form of iraqs new government. Even as american military personnel are struggling with the aftermath of the iraq war, the debate continues over why and how we became involved, what happened during the war, and more important, what. Unlike previous studies, which concentrated primarily on the diplomatic and policy decisions affecting the war, or decisions at the high command level, cordesman provides a detailed analysis of all of the military. In just twentyone days the united states drove saddam husseins baathist regime from power and destroyed its military and security apparatus.
General patraeus and ambassador crocker testified on the situation in iraq and progress made by the government of iraq in. As a result, the iraqi regime was dismantled, and much of the conventional wisdom about modern war was irrevocably altered. The question of deciding about the unknowable looms large in my mind, as i think back 15 years to the runup to the iraq war, and think ahead to future such choices future presidents will weigh. It is unlikely that military intervention will be required as long as the war continues. Military lessons learned in iraq and strategic implications.
Nevertheless, the iraq experience does hold important lessons that can be applied in afghanistan. The province soon became ground zero for organized insurgent resistance to the u. The mcchrystal military plan covers the short term, the next 1218 months. The military strategy in afghanistan fdds long war journal. Apr 16, 2004 a new book by journalist bob woodward claims president bush secretly ordered a war plan against iraq less than two months after u. Strategy, tactics, and military lessons by anthony h. Confounding predictions of failure, the iraqi regime was dismantled, and much of the conventional wisdom about modern war was irrevocably altered. On may 1, 2003, president bush announced the end of major combat operations from the deck of the uss abraham lincoln by recapitulating how victory in combat was achieved. Cordesman it is almost as arrogant to rush to judgment on the lessons of a war that is not over as it was to rush out and judge the war plan before it was implemented. Iraq, grand strategy, and the lessons of military history. Washington cnn president bush on wednesday said the united states is shifting its tactics in the iraq war as the enemy shifts theirs. George ball and others ignored the historical lessons.
Synopsis in the spring of 2003, a stunned world watched the armed forces of america and britain conduct a lightninglast military campaign against iraq. That said, the recent escalation of violence is troubling. Army center of military history highlights a number of key aspects of allied support to the u. There are always lessons to be learned after a war. American military operations in iraq did not unfold as planned. Strategy, tactics, and military lessons as want to read. Iraq war and lessons for developing local forces 1406 page 4 this situation did not improve until more than a year after the fall saddams regimes, and at least six months after it became apparent that a serious insurgency was developing. Iraq has just seen one of its most horrifying days of terrorism in what is now some thirteen years of war. A military and strategic history goes far beyond these themes, taking a unique look at saddams decisionmaking throughout the war. Top bush officials criticize generals conventional views, washington post, august 1, 2002, p. Unlike previous studies, which concentrated primarily on the diplomatic and policy decisions affecting the war, or decisions at the high command level, cordesman. Center on terrorism and irregular warfare in late 2002, the defense department asks retired army colonel hy rothstein, a leading military expert in unconventional warfare, to examine the planning and execution of the war in afghanistan. Additional points of interest about the war include.
This game features everything from human wave assaults to chemical and missile attacks. Cordesmans book, the gulf war, was published in october 1994, and was the first comprehensive analysis of the strategic and military lessons of the gulf war. Every area of iraq is different, so there is no one tactic or. Apr 10, 2008 april 8, 2008 update on military situation in iraq.
The framework for studying saddams air force is available in air force manual afm 11. Strategy, tactics, and military lessons, by anthony h. The first predator flight over afghanistan on september 7, 2000 captures bin laden circled by security in his tarnak farms complex. Military strategy in iraq council on foreign relations. These lessons from the iraniraq war should be heeded by the u.