Posted on 04/06/2003 9:19:43 PM PDT by agincourt1415
You many recall that Henry V, won the Battle of Harfleur in 1415, then went on "Cheveauege" through the French Countryside.
Cheveauege is defined as a march through enemy territory designed to annoy the enemy but avoid battle.
This is exactly what the 3rd Infantry Division was doing the other day driving through Baghdad.
However its hard to avoid battle and the enemy was met and defeated as the round robin route took the 3rd ID through the eastern side of Baghdad.
It's obvious Hussein can't expect to win in open desert. In fact, on the immediate level he can not expect to win, period. Whether other Muslim nations will come to his aid will be seen. Whether they will react and act us is a problem.
My concern is whether the Hussein/Islamic strategy is to suck us into Baghdad where we will win the battle, plant our flag, but at the same time become prisoners of the territory we have conquered with endless snipers and suidide bombers and no area outside the town worth occupying. At the same time I expect attempted Muslim terrorist attacks here and elsewhere to continue. How successful they will be is yet to be determined. What we're likely to end up with is 500,000 Carlos the Jackels.
Any government we attempt to form there is going to be viewed as an illegitimate insult imposed upon the world Islamic community.
I would be surprised if we are not being drawn into a trap in Baghdad in which Hussein will be able to inflict serious casualties, or the person or movement that follows him will not do the same.
We lost our chance to settle this thin thing to our complete advantage when Schwartzkoph was called off during the Gulf War.
The only What if I'm afraid of is a hidden Nuclear Device in the Bunkers of Baghdad.
Now, that would be the nightmare scenario.
I understand we have detection devices that can find something like that.
I don't think their will be much problem with the Fedeyeen.
They will lose steam after a while.
No doubt that the Generals who planned the manuever, had no idea they were executing a "cheveauege". Future generations will probably refer to it as a "Third Herd".
But there are so many elements that are the same, between the 1415 and now.
Henry V had a small force, but a heavy firepower advantage in the Longbow.
Very similar to our advantages our outnumbered troops have today.
---------------------------
I don't think the Islamic movement has lost steam in close ro 1,500 years. From another news item here:
-------------------
A close ally of Afghan President Hamid Karzai has been shot and killed in central Afghanistan, provincial government officials have said. Haji Gilani and his nephew were killed as they left their home in the Deh Rawood district in Uruzgan province, its governor said.
Gilani, who was in his 60s, sheltered Mr Karzai when he entered Afghanistan shortly after the 11 September 2001 attacks. The Afghan leader was forced to stay in hiding with anti-Taleban supporters, many of whom risked their lives to ensure his safety. "When Karzai came back to Afghanistan for the first time, he was the only one who helped him," Mr Mohammad told French news agency AFP. Gilani's death follows a recent joint operation in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar by US and Afghan soldiers which left eight suspected Taleban fighters dead and a further 15 captured. The bombing was in response to the growing concerns of Afghan and US officials that Taleban forces are regrouping after they were driven from power 18 months ago, and attempting to destabilise the country.
----------------------
This is the type of thing we can expect. It has barely started.
I don not believe that it is pure coincidence that in 2003 the 3ID again plays the role of Anvil, coming in from the south. The 4ID was to be the hammer but those effin'turks screwed the pooch.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.