DUNNIGAN’S ROUNDUP
The headline on StrategyPage’s summary says it all: Baghdad Doesn’t Fall, It Crumbles. The performance of US troops continues to impress:
The coalition casualty rate has stayed as low as ever (about five casualties per division per day), mainly because of the high level of training and combat leadership among coalition troops, and the equally low levels among Iraqi troops. On the Iraqi side, the men most likely to resist are paramilitary troops (security troops, foreign Islamic volunteers.) These men, who appear to be clueless about what they are getting themselves into, are slaughtered by the coalition professionals. The Iraqi fighters are making matters worse by deliberately using civilians for cover. But the coalition rules of engagement do not force troops to not fire if Iraqis are shooting from behind civilians. In southern Iraq, the local civilians eventually took sides and went over to the coalition forces. This made it impossible for the pro-Saddam fighters to carry on and they fled. While this is happening in parts of Baghdad, there is really no place to run. While there may be a last stand in Saddam’s home town Tikrit (north of Baghdad), coalition forces have blocked all the main roads out of the city. For Saddam’s diehard defenders, it’s surrender or die, and many are choosing the latter option.
And I somehow missed this one yesterday:
The United States declared air superiority over Iraq, which means there is no significant threat to coalition aircraft. However, an A-10 was shot down yesterday, apparently by a French made Roland missile. Iraq had bought Roland missiles in the 1980s, but it is not known if the ones being used now are those older (and likely no longer working) missiles, or new ones smuggled in.
What is it that Glenn says? They aren’t against the war, they’re just on the other side.
