[Dundee]

In April 2004, Major General Molan deployed for a year to Iraq as the Chief of Operations, Headquarters Multinational Force – Iraq during continuous and intense combat operations. This period covered the Iraqi elections in January 2005, and the pre-election shaping battles of Najaf, TalAfar, Samarra, Fallujah, Ramadan 04 and Mosul. For distinguished command and leadership in action in Iraq, Major General Molan was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross by the Australian Government and the Legion of Merit by the United States Government.

He retired 2 months ago and has written an excellent book 'Running the War in Iraq' on his experiences in Iraq. Since retirement he has vigorously defended our actions in Iraq and has berated both sides of Australian politics for poor understanding and management of Defence issues.

[Former Dodger]

Bump for later

[marron]

Chris, you and I may not agree on much about the Iraq war but you have the benefit of a knowledge-free vantage point. I’m hampered by knowing at least some facts.

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

The great secret of Fallujah is the great secret of the entire WoT.

al-Qaeda was dispersed in every corner of the planet, threatening civil war and effective terrorism in two dozen or more countries. In such a situation, it would have been impossible to fight them militarily.

But first in Afghanistan, then Iraq, we created circumstances where the very best that al-Qaeda could produce would leave their host nations and come to fight our soldiers. It should have been planned that way, and I hope we had the foresight to cause it to have happened that way.

Afghanistan, and later Iraq, were in effect gigantic roach motels.

They came to our battlefield, to fight our well-trained and equipped soldiers, instead of infiltrating our nations and attacking our civilians at times, places, and means of their choosing.

And even in Iraq, the enemy was more dispersed than we wanted, so intentionally or not, we permitted safe havens to be established by them. Not only did their arrogance, villainy and viciousness soon lead people who had been very hostile to the US to *want* us to rout al-Qaeda; but the very idea that they had an “enclave” where they could concentrate, appealed to their bad judgment.

Fallujah was just such a place. al-Qaeda occupied it, and began to oppress the rather obnoxious Fallujans horribly. Seeing it as the new capital of their “emirate”, al-Qaeda from all over Iraq and even newcomers flowed to it, concentrated in it.

Just like cockroaches to a baited roach motel.

And this was *exactly* the way our soldiers wanted to fight them.

Even within the city itself, we chose the battlefield. We picked an industrial area, away from where the local citizenry lived, and the foolish enemy flowed there, entering kill zones again and again that no professional soldier would dare enter.

And in Fallujah, our military smote them horribly. In doing so, they have systematically eliminated the most dangerous terrorists around, men who had they stayed home could have killed tens of thousands, and oppressed hundreds of thousands. Terrorists who would have subverted and taken over nations, and given vast aid and comfort to those who would menace us at home.

The world is a better place for the battle of Fallujah, and hopefully intentionally, but in any event, our soldiers and Marines should be given high honors for it and a hundred other battles to the same end.

[Lancey Howard]

(( ping ))

Check this out....

[dighton]

Chris, you and I may not agree on much about the Iraq war but you have the benefit of a knowledge-free vantage point.

Worthy of framing.

[ASOC]

THanks for posting

ALso of note

Willie Peter will make you a believer

and for the leftists
Rats get fat while good men die.....

[dighton]

This rates another bump.