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.
rule one for the guerillas was NEVER to engage in face to face combat unless overwhelming force can be applied to target. Those dumb#sses went toe to toe with Marine and Army units in conventional urban warfare.
When an enemy masses to fight, melt away. When they are resting , attack. Disappear where they assemble and show up at their rear.
The best part of it all is that it really doesn't matter to the muzzies. They're dumber than a box of rocks so they will not or can not read Mao's book and apply tactics.
they just like killing and think that killing is what makes war.
They were trying to pull a Tet but unfortunately nobody believes the MSM and the internet is yanking the planks from the propaganda war.
bwahahahahahaa..... just keep getting intel and target the bad guys, I'd go hunting every night if I was 25 years younger.
Some optics, sat-com, 4-5 other guys and gee, we'd just have a little party all night, every night......
Nice post, very eloquently stated.
Any chance you’re a military historian?
CA....
Bump!
BRAVO! BRAVO!
Well put!
I read “No True Glory” by Bing West, and it made me feell a debt of gratitude to those men for completely taking the enemy to the cleaners.
Just wow.
President Bush said throughout the conflict that that was the case. There was never any mystery about it, except the ones concocted in the Leftist press.
Good article, GREAT posts.
Thanks for the ping, Lancey