Iraqi insurgency

As the statue of Saddam Hussein was dragged down by an American armored vehicle, Iraqis cheered “Thank you very much,” holding signs that read “Thank You USA” (Losing Iraq 2014). As Col. R. Alan King recounted in PBS Frontline’s documentary Losing Iraq (2014), he remembers thinking “This might just work.” Unfortunately, these early signs of success towards a stable Iraqi government would not continue. Losing Iraq chronicles the mismanagement of the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq, the…

Deciding to keep Marshall in Washington, D.C., Roosevelt chose Eisenhower as Supreme Allied Commander during World War II. With an affable character and well-liked by all, Eisenhower was also influenced by his predecessors and peers; for example, his résumé includes a graduate of West Point, service under Fox Connor (a Pershing protégé) and Douglas MacArthur, and a working relationship alongside George Marshall. Ike’s attributes of leadership include his ability to compromise, strategic…

General (Retired) James Mattis embodied many characteristics central to leadership as defined by Army policy and doctrine. His compassion, discipline and knowledge impacted the military service at all levels, from the decision-makers in Washington, D.C. to platoon sergeants leading the way in the mountains of Afghanistan. Military scholars mention Gen (R) Mattis in the same breath as Gen Patton and MacArthur because of his dedication to excellence. In an article from the Business Insider,…

operational approach of how to stabilize Mosul after military conflict would prove a successful outcome that led to the start of Iraqis governing their country. Current Situation In order to accomplish the desired end state of what Mosul should…

The official launch date of Operation Iraqi Freedom was in March 20th, 2003. In October of 2002, congress authorized the president to use force towards Iraqi to defend “the national security of the United States - improve security, establish a system of governance, and foster economic development”. The first most focused goal was to remove Saddam Hussein’s regime. An estimated 151,000 to 60,000 Iraqis were killed in the 3-4 years of conflict. The United States officially withdrew from the…

Armed Forces. This gave way to the collapse of the Baathist government, and consequently, to the capture of Saddam in December of 2003, and was later executed by a military court in 2006. However, the war continued as an insurgency emerged to oppose the occupying forces and the new Iraqi government. In December of 2011, the U.S. ‘officially’ withdrew all combat troops from Iraq. Later on, the U.S. became re-involved in 2014 amid the instigation of a new coalition, hence, the…

United States deployed ground forces into Iraq in 2003, Jordanian Salafi Jihadist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and his militant group Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad, achieved fame in the early stages of the Iraqi insurgency. Founded in 1999, the terror group was responsible for suicide attacks on civilians, Iraqi government institutions Italian soldiers, and Shia Islamic mosques, Al-Zarqawi's group officially pledged allegiance to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network in October 2004. The name was changed to…

often times, when actual conflict is involved, the United States, in particular, relies on the U.S. Military to apply all four elements to include: Diplomatic, Informational, Military as well as Economic. As we see in the discussion of Operation Iraqi Freedom above, applying a scientific strategy can lead to a swift victory. But in the nature of Clausewitz, when the other elements come into play and these responsibilities fall to the military to accomplish, they often fall short. Thus I…

underestimated the Iraqi regime by minimizing the conflict as a continuation of the Persian Gulf War, a sentiment exacerbated by President Bush’s assumption that U.S. Forces would be welcomed as liberators. Such phenomena reveal another weakness in the Pentagon’s planning…

enemies that reside there. It is a fact the the use of Camp Bucca in Umm Qasr, Iraq to hold Iraqi persons of war helped lead to the creation of networks in the camp where they exchanged information. The detainees were already grouped together and making plans. They shared similar beliefs and ideas allowing for better creations to be made later on. Once the camp closed in December 2010, some of the major military Iraqi leaders became leaders of the Islamic State of Iraq and the…