In several postings below I looked at what I believe might be our objectives and centers of gravities at the three levels of military planning. I also looked at our media’s willingness to act as the propaganda arm of the terrorist forces. Chief among the propagandists is Kevin Sites. Sites claimed he “didn’t know” how other news agencies would use the video of Marine apparently shooting an unarmed wounded terrorist. This is just plain crap and a kin to an arsonist claiming he “didn’t know” that jet fuel was an accelerant when he tried to dowse a fire with it.
Here are what might be our enemy’s objectives and centers and gravity in Iraq.
Enemy strategic objective: Establish a friendly sympathetic nation state from which to operate world wide Islamo terror fascism. The terrorists want to use a dysfunctional Iraq for that purpose. They also know, as the president knows, that once democracy is established in the Middle East, it will grow and act as a stabilizing force in the region. That is why they are fighting so hard in Iraq. Once Iraq is stabilized, terrorist know that it may signal the beginning of the end for them in the region.
Enemy strategic center of gravity: The terrorists in Iraq are receiving assistance from a plethora of nation states that don’t want the US to succeed in Iraq - Syria, Iran, Saudi Arabia to name but a few. The strategic center of gravity for the terrorists in Iraq is to isolate them from their foreign support. Coalition forces need to isolate the battlefield. Like "ten years in prison", it’s easier said than done. We have a great problem securing our own border. Our problem is ten fold in Iraq. The use of more troops on the borders is the answer – not ours – Iraqi troops.
Enemy operational objective: Break the coalition and cause it leave Iraq before stability can be achieved. It’s clear that the terrorists' strategic objective can not be achieved while the coalition is in place in Iraq. They will try to drive the coalition from Iraq using the Vietnam model – drag the war out, employ the useful idiots in our own media as their propaganda arm and wait for popular support of the war to die. But this isn’t Vietnam. The Vietnamese never blew up 3,000 innocent Americans on American soil. Also, there are now any number of information sources outside the MSM who are not quite as useful a bunch of idiots as the MSM.
Enemy operational center of gravity: The terrorist know that the leadership of their various organizations is what holds the effort together. They also know that the leadership is being relentlessly hunted. Protecting the leadership is the terrorist’s operational center of gravity. The seclusion of the leadership is in itself a minor victory. How much more effective could the terrorists be if they could openly communicate and coordinate? Our forces are keeping the terrorists leadership on the run and always in fear and suspicion of their surroundings and any new face. These organizations deep secrecy is in itself a hindrance.
Enemy tactical objective: The terrorist’s tactical objective is to keep the Iraqis from standing up their own security forces before breaking the coalition. Once the Iraqis are capable of providing their own security it will be game over for the terrorists in Iraq. Terrorists have been going after the Iraqi security forces all their energy. Right now it is true test of wills between the provisional government and the terrorists. If there is not a significant increase in the number and quality of Iraqi security forces by spring next year, it may signal an extended stay for coalition forces.
Enemy tactical center of gravity: Maintaining security in their tactical cells is the terrorist’s tactical center of gravity. When we can infiltrate these cells and begin to gather intelligence to break down the organization from within it will be like pulling on the thread of a button on a cheap shirt, it will easily come apart.
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