F-15E Strike Eagle, Loaded
Posted on 03/31/2003 8:48:06 PM PST by Diddley
U.S. and British leaders have started to lose their tempers because of the tough Iraqi resistance against their invasion of the Arab country and this might prompt them to destroy Baghdad, according to Egypt's former defence minister.
Marshal Abdul Halim Abu Ghazala said overconfidence was the coalition's biggest mistake in the invasion of Iraq and expected Iraq's elite Republican Guard forces to fight to death in their defence of Baghdad against the advancing allied troops.
Writing in Arabic newspapers yesterday, Abu Ghazala said the U.S. had made a serious mistake when it thought it would easily crush Iraq as it did during the 1991 Gulf war and in Afghanistan, where an extensive air campaign quickly ended the ruling Taliban regime.
"There is no doubt that the prolonged Iraqi resistance will rekindle world public opinion against this war, especially in the West...it is also causing the leaders of the United States and Britain to lose their tempers and this could prompt them to commit serious mistakes, like destroying all civilian utilities and killing more civilians," he said.
" This will only lead to an escalation in world public opinion and a resurgence of American memories of their tragedies in Vietnam, Korea, Somalia and Lebanon ... this in turn will put heavy pressure on the Bush administration to quit the Iraqi quagmire."
Abu Ghazala, one of the most prominent Arab defence analysts, said he believed the coalition forces which invaded Iraq on March 21 have been suffering losses in the fighting against the Iraqis because of their rush towards Baghdad.
"In my opinion, over-confidence is the biggest mistake committed by U.S. planners who ordered their forces to advance quickly ... it seems that the American military command is largely influenced by the 1991 Gulf war, which ended in just 100 hours and in Afghanistan ... it thought that it could even finish the task quicker in Iraq given its far superior armament and technology ... that is why their plan was to push swiftly into Iraq and reach Baghdad, besiege it and finish the war quickly according to Bush's wish," he said.
"I believe their forces will besiege Baghdad from several sides but will remain outside the range of Iraqi fire ... they will then launch an extensive bombing campaign and mount a psychological war against the defending troops to force them to surrender."
But Abu Ghazala said he expected a costly allied campaign against Iraq and its capital, adding the more losses the allies suffer, the more violent their leaders will turn.
(Excerpt) Read more at khilafah.com ...
camels', not camel's.
F-15E Strike Eagle, Loaded
Well, it comes from someone who knows a lot about both overconfidence and mistakes.
Right on.
(Exo 14:21 NKJV) Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided. (Exo 14:22 NKJV) So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. (Exo 14:23 NKJV) And the Egyptians pursued and went after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. (Exo 14:24 NKJV) Now it came to pass, in the morning watch, that the LORD looked down upon the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud, and He troubled the army of the Egyptians. (Exo 14:25 NKJV) And He took off their chariot wheels, so that they drove them with difficulty; and the Egyptians said, "Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the LORD fights for them against the Egyptians." (Exo 14:26 NKJV) Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the waters may come back upon the Egyptians, on their chariots, and on their horsemen." (Exo 14:27 NKJV) And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and when the morning appeared, the sea returned to its full depth, while the Egyptians were fleeing into it. So the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. (Exo 14:28 NKJV) Then the waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. Not so much as one of them remained.
Not too good.
I hope there are some left (not the army; the people).
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