Military history : Operation Iraqi Freedom

Operation
“IRAQI FREEDOM”
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Military History

• แหล่งข้อมูล ปฐมภูมิและทุติยภูมิ
• การตรวจวิเคราะห์ ปัจจัยภายใน (ความหมาย,แน่นอน,เชื่อถือได้และความจริง)
• นาการใช้ประวัติศาสตร์แบบ “มองที่ผล”
(เน้นค้นหาความจริงในอดีตเป็นบทเรียนสู่อนาคต)
• ใช้แนวทาง นักทฤษฎีทางทหาร Jomini “การศึกษาแบบ การทัพ การรบ”
วิเคราะห์ความสัมพันธ์ของเหตุการณ์-วิวัฒนาการของศิลปะการทาสงคราม
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ประเด็นข้อมูลและคาถามนาที่น่าสนใจ

1. สงครามอิรักเกิดขึ้นได้อย่างไร?
- วิวัฒนาการของสงคราม (ก่อการร้าย)
- ผลประโยชน์ของชาติ?
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ประเด็นข้อมูลและคาถามนาที่น่าสนใจ
2. เหตุผลที่ USA ใช้เครื่องมือพลังอานาจของชาติ DIME เพราะ?
- ปัจจัย ( 9/11, WMD, ตัดกาลังก่อนเพื่อป้องกันการโจมตี)
- เงื่อนไข ( UNSC )
- โอกาส (Unipolar, ทรัพยากรน้ามัน, เปลี่ยนความสนใจคนในชาติ)

Agenda
• การประเมินสถานการณ์ทางยุทธศาสตร์
• ที่มาของสงคราม
• ปัจจัยที่มีผลกระทบต่อเหตุการณ์
• การพิจารณาทางด้านยุทธวิธี
• ผลการปฏิบัติ
• สรุปการปฏิบัติสาคัญของเหตุการณ์
• บทเรียนจากประวัติศาสตร์
• ข้อเสนอต่อเหตุการณ์
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Who : U.S. led – Coalition force VS Iraq
What : Full-scale invasion by the Coalition force to overthrow
Saddam Hussein’s regime.
When : 20 March – 1 May 2003 (40 days)
Where : Main theater - Iraq-Kuwait border and Baghdad
Why : Part of U.S. respond to 9/11 terrorist attack (World trade center incident)
FACT
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Operation Iraq Freedom

What : Full-scale invasion by the Coalition force to overthrow Saddam Hussein’s regime.
Why : Part of U.S. respond to 9/11 terrorist attack (World trade center incident)
FACT
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What : Full-scale invasion by the Coalition force to overthrow Saddam Hussein’s regime.
Why : Part of U.S. respond to 9/11 terrorist attack
(World trade center incident)
FACT
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การประเมินสถานการณ์ทางยุทธศาสตร์
PMESII : USA
Source : วิเคราะห์สงครามอิรัก (Operation Iraqi Freedom) โดย กองวิจัยและพัฒนาการรบ ยก.ทอ. https://goo.gl/rYUqab
P.Political
- Democracy
- Head of State : George W Bush (Republican) from January 2001
- Secretary of Defense : Donald Rumsfeld agree with military policy
S.Social
- Judge War
- US Citizen not interested
in international news (45%)
M.Military
- Experience in 1st invade “Gulf war”
- Organizational : Brigade Combat Team
- Combined Arms
I.Infrastructure
- Energy requirement for
developing country
E.Economic
- Deficit Balance of trade 435,200 Million USD
- Still US Congress approve 335,100 Million USD budget Ministry of Defense (37,500 M.USD increase)
I.Information
- Information blockage
- Media is a tool

PMESII : IRAQ
P.Political
- Ambition to be Arab superpower
- Head of State : President Saddam Hussain since 1979 (Bat’tha Dictatorship)
- Kurdish minority issue
S.Social
- Mostly citizen have loyalty in
their President
M.Military
- Military Downsizing due to Gulf War
- Can’t freely buy military equipment & ammunition
- Soldier lack of military expertise
- Deprive Ethno-Sectarian (Shia/Kurdish) from promote to high-ranking military commander
I.Infrastructure
- Lack of good public health
system
E.Economic
- UN Economic Sanction
- Limiting oil export quota
I.Information
- Sunni Islam (29% of population)
rule Iraq

Patriot Missile Defense System
M1 Abrams
UH-60 Black Hawk M2 Bradley
AH-64 Apache
Big Five
System

ที่มาของสงคราม
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How it all started?
U.S. attacked
in 9/11 incident
almost
3,000 people
were killed.
Operation
“Enduring
Freedom” in
Afghanistan
Started.
President Bush gave
a warn to Iraq
that military action
will be unavoidable
if they not comply
with UN resolution
on disarmament.
U.S. Congress passed
“Iraq resolution”
Authorize the
President to “use any
mean necessary”
against Iraq.
U.S. Secretary of State
present evidence
that Iraq hiding
unconventional weapon
In UN Security Council.
Bush demand
Saddam & Sons
surrender and leave
Iraq within 48hrs
Deadline.
The battle begin.
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Rationale for make a Military Operation
1. Developed and use Weapon of Mass Destruction (WMDs)
2. Harbour and Support terrorism
3. Human right abuse
4. Defied demand of UN and the world in peace resolution
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การพิจารณาทางด้านยุทธวิธี
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Planning timeline
The old Iraq war plan “1003-98” developing during 1990s. By deploy around
400,000-500,000 troops with long timeline build-up force and deployment
Nov 2001 Secretary for Defense Rumsfeld asking for all new version – “fewer troops and fast deployment timeline”
Source : CRS Report for Congress – Operation Iraqi Freedom : Strategies, Approached, Result, and Issues for Congress,2008
Early 2002 General Tommy Frank present “Generate Start” plan with Air-Ground troops around 275,000 needed
- CIA team early infiltration > Build relationship and gain intelligence and introduction SOF
- Special Operation Force action in northern and al-Anbar province
- Main ground effort begin near-simultaneous air attack
Spring 2002 “Running Start” Plan with smaller force and short timeline - 25 days air attack and 18,000 ground forces
Summer 2002 Hybrid “5-11-16-125”
5 days Presidential notification in advance
11 days to flow force
16 days air campaign and start ground campaign force flow into theater
125 days Campaign would last up
January 2003 Modified version of “Generate Start”
Donald Rumsfeld with General Tommy Frank

c
Planning Comparison
Source : : Operation IRAQI FREEDOM Decisive War, Elusive Peace,2015
Comparing the Plans
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• Minimize Collateral Damage > from pinpoint exact location into more precision calculate bomb radius
• Line and Slide > Line : What is Iraqi “Center of Gravity”
> Slide : “Mean to use against target”
• Focus on
- Defeat Iraq military
- Removing Saddam from regime
- Archived overall strategic goal
(particularly to Iraq population in the day after war)
• Countering the WMD threat
- deter their use
- protect friendly forces and regional partners
- attack Iraqi capabilities
- mitigate the effects if WMD were used.
Operation Concept
Line and Slide

Develope the Planning
Source : CRS Report for Congress – Operation Iraqi Freedom : Strategies, Approached, Result, and Issues for Congress,2008
: Operation IRAQI FREEDOM Decisive War, Elusive Peace,2015
Modified “Generate Start”
• Short initial of Air campaign (Couples days)
• Ground campaign
- Two prongs attacking from the South departure from Kuwait into Iraq
- Open northern front from Turkey
Continue to build forces and infrastructure in the region to support diplomacy. Ready to attack before President’s decision making
“Generating” the necessary ground, air and naval presence in the region that
would enable us, at the orders of the President, to commence decisive military operations
to meet the End state objective of REGIME CHANGE”
Tactical
Concept
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1,050,000
260,000
Military
Comparison
Coalition troop Iraq troop
1 : 4
Ratio

• U.S. 214,000 code-name "Operation Iraqi Freedom"
• UK 45,000 code-name “Operation Telic”
• Australia 2,000 code-name “Operation Falconer”
Coalition Troops
260,000 approx.
and the rest from 40 allied nation
+70,000 Kurdish Peshmerga forces
(cooperate with U.S. Special force in northern theater)
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Regular troops 400,000 approx.
which including..
• Iraq Republican Guard
• Fedayeen Saddam "Saddam's Men of Sacrifice” paramilitaries
650,000 reserves
with
IRAQ Kingdom Troops

Advantage
• Holistic superior conventional forces
• Armored with fire power
• Well-trained armed force
Disadvantage
• Line of logistic
• Less troop
Advantage
• Terrain familiarity
• More Troop
Disadvantage
• Equipment technology
Coalition IRAQ
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ปัจจัยที่มีผลกระทบต่อเหตุการณ์
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/iz.html , https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/iraq/climate.htm
Terrain
• Mostly broad plains
• Mountains along borders with Iran and Turkey
Iraq Fact sheet
Climate
• Hot day - Cold night
• Boiling summer (44-50 °C) - Cool winter (9.5 °C)
Location
Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf,
between Iran and Kuwait
Source :

ปัจจัยที่มีผลกระทบต่อเหตุการณ์
Effect from Key Factor
Use Amphibious warfare from Persian Gulf through Kuwait
• Southern Plain – Armored troop
• Northern Mountains – Unconventional Troop
with Local resistance group
Alliance
• Kuwait
Start – End campaign in the period with 24-37c max
(around Baghdad) to minimize climate problem.
Neutral
• Turkey
• Saudi Arabia
Against
• Iran
• Syria
• Jordan
Terrain
Location
Climate

Possible Course of action : Coalition
• Enter Iraq by Crossing Kuwait-Iraq border/Sea projection operation through Persia Gulf
• Use superior air power and fire support to prepare battlefield and destroy high-value target
before land campaign start
• Avoid urban area battlefield to minimizing collateral damage
(Military occupation need “Win heart and mind” strategy to minimize resistance condition)
• Route clearing by strategic mobility of armored fighting vehicle
• Crushing the Critical Vulnerabilities by speed and deep penetration
• Try to defeat the opposite as soon as possible
• Deploy suitable troop by operation area
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• Inferior weaponry system by gulf war defeated
• Avoid open-terrain warfare by draw an opposite coalition into urban areas battlefield
1. Reduce ability of armored fighting vehicle (agility and fire power)
2. Human armored limiting
3. Reduce effect of technological disadvantage
• Use irregular warfare
• Protracted war – make another Vietnam
Possible Course of action : IRAQ
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General Tommy R. Frank
Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM)
• Immediate land campaign after powerful bombing campaign.
• Secure key position of South Iraq to use as a support line
• Bypass major urban center (avoid urban battlefield)
• Crushing the top of the command structure
by speed and deep penetration
The Battle preparation begin on March 19
Course of action selected

Operation Iraqi Freedom’s
Offensive line
4 key movement
1. The Beginning
2. Parallel Action
3. Final Wave
4. Northern Theater
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ผลการปฏิบัติ
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21
Mar
สรุปการปฏิบัติของเหตุการณ์
Timeline
U.K.,US Marine
secure port of
Umm Qasr
20
Mar
23
Mar
26
Mar
30
Mar
3-4
Apr
5
Apr
8
Apr
10
Apr
7
Apr
9
Apr
15
Apr
1
May
1st Marine Division
secures Rumaila oilfield
then go to An Nasiriyah
“Task Force Tarawa”
moved in for rescue mission
and 18 killed by A-10 friendly fire
507th Maintenance
Company was ambush by
Fedayeen at An Nasiriyah
(11 died 7 captured)
An Najaf under
U.S. force control
“Operation James” battle
for Basra begin (British
seize Basra on Apr 6)
U.S. 3rd Infantry Division
pass Karbala heading
to Baghdad from west
while 1st Marine exp.Force
closing Baghdad from east.
Co-Battle between
U.S. 2nd Brigade
and 3rd Infantry
Begin “Thunder run” campaign
to Baghdad seize
Saddam International Airport.
2nd “Thunder run”
seize
Saddam’s palace.
But fighting
still constant
Marines entering
and secure
Eastern Baghdad
Coalition force
complete occupation
of Baghdad on Apr 9
Statue of
Saddam Hussein
in Firdos Sq.
was pulles down
Tikrit
(Saddam Home town)
the last outpost
in central Iraq
was captures by
U.S. Marine force.
The north campaign
run by Kurdish fighter
support by
U.S. Special force
and Airborne Unit
Secure Kirkuk
George W. Bush
declared an official
end of Iraqi Freedom
Southern Action
An Nasiriyah and beyond
Battle for Baghdad
3 Session

A Result
1. Direct Effect
1.1 The end of Saddam’s regime
1.2 War Losses (Death toll and Cost)
2. Indirect Effect
2.1 Ethno-Sectarian conflict
2.2 Increase of insurgency
2.3 Iraq refugee crisis
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1.1 End of Saddam’s regime
From 16 July 1979 - 9 April 2003
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Coalition Alliances
US : 130
UK : 30
Kurdish Peshmerga : 24+
Total 196+
Iraq
Combatant : 30,000
Civilian : 7,269
Total 37,269
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di
Source : http://www.nbcnews.com/id/3080244/ns/meet_the_press/t/transcript-sept/#.W_OErNUzZd
“With respect to the financing, the $87 billion we’ve asked for is—
about 3/4 of that is to support our military and security operations.
About 1/4 of it will go specifically to helping make the investments
Bremer believes we need to make in order to get the Iraqis back and
functioning on their own capability.”
Interview in a March 16, 2003 - on NBC news Meet the Press
Vice President Dick Cheney
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Religion in Iraq (2015)
Shia Islam
Sunni Islam
Christian
Ghosticism/Yazidism
4% 0.3%
66%
29%
Source : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Iraq
Saddam’s era
Major sectarian conflict incident :
• Dujail Massacre (1982)
President Assassination attempt > 142-148 Shai sentence to dead
• al-Anfal genocide campaign (1986-1989)
Anti-Kurdish Insurgent Campaign > 50,000 – 182,000 killed
Col.Gen.
Ali Hassan
al-Majid
"Chemical Ali"

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Post Saddam’s era
Major sectarian conflict incident :
• Ashura massacre (Mar 2, 2004)
Terrorist explosions – at least 178 killed 500 injured
• al-Askari mosque bombing (Feb 22, 2006)
More than 370,000 Iraqis has been displaced in
consequences of this incident (UNHCR, Oct 2006)

2.2 Increasing of insurgency
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•Ba'athists
•Iraqi Nationalists
•Badr Organization
•Shia Militias
•Muqtada al-Sadr
•Kurdish Kurdish peshmerga-forces
•Sunni Militias
- Mujahideen Shura Council
- the Islamic Army
- al-Qaeda
- The United Jihad Faction Council
- Jaish al-Rashideen
- The Army of the Men of Naqshbandi Order
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2.3 IRAQI refugee crisis
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4.7 million refugee by 2008 (UNHCR projection in 2006)
• 2 million aboard
• 1.2 million displaced

บทเรียนจากประวัติศาสตร์
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บทเรียนที่ได้รับทางประวัติศาสตร์
Lesson Learned IRAQ : Key Failure Factor
Lt.Gen.Ra'ad al-Hamdani
Republican Guard Commander
• Dividing separate military organization into 4 group
without joint planning and fighting separate
• Lack on strategic vision
• Exaggeration in military discipline - The control of security establishment made
“No order” army > deprived officer’s ability to discuss/no decision-making process
• Political full control of military/Administrative corruption/Economic sanction
> Low level of fighting spirit “The percentage of forces that really fought was simple.
I don't have exact numbers, but I can say almost 15 percent.
In spite of that, it kept on fighting for three weeks
-- so what if everybody was fighting?”
From interview on PBS
Source : https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/invasion/interviews/raad.html
Strategic mistakes in Lt.Gen Ra’ad point of view -Regular army
-Republican Guard
-Quds army
-Ba’ath Party militias

Lesson Learned IRAQ : Key Failure Factor
• Nasiriya battle achievement - increasing optimistic attitude and morale but make
some Iraqi military commander take lightly on another battle
• Information Misleading
April 2 – In military commander meeting
- Defense Minister convey message from President “The south theater was a strategic
deception the attack on Baghdad will be from north” no discussion permitted
- Lt.Gen.Ra’dd objected – believe enemy main effort is from south and show his
presentation about enemy course of action
- Qu-say Hussein - Supervisor of Republican Guard show
his agreement but there’re none supporter of his idea
Lt.Gen.Ra'ad al-Hamdani
Republican Guard Commander
From interview on PBS
Source : https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/invasion/interviews/raad.html
Strategic mistakes in Lt.Gen Ra’ad point of view
Qu-say Hussein
President’s son
and Supervisor of RG
(former Ra’da ’s subordinate
In Iraq-Iran war)

1.Effectively strategic planning
2.Designated training for mission
3.Superior in weapon system technology
4.Effectively Time & Terrain selecting for troops deployment
5.Offensive strategy - Massive & Speed attacking into
Iraq’s command structure effect enemy’s
morale and fighting spirit
Lesson Learned Coalition : Key Success Factor
General Tommy Frank
CENTCOM Commander-in-Chief

ประเมินค่าสิ่งสาคัญที่เด่นชัดของเหตุการณ์
Scheme of maneuver in the offense
• Attacking Center of Gravity with speed and massive strike focusing on
designated strategic target (such as Military HQ – High-ranking Officer)
• Strike fear into the hearts of enemy by eliminate C-level Officer
• Avoid to infrastructures destruction for aftermath phrase
• Use internal insurgency

ข้อเสนอต่อเหตุการณ์
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ข้อเสนอเหตุการณ์
1. Is WMDs a reason for start an operation?
2. Integration in operational support in information system is a key.
3. The Coalition has won the battle but lost the war.
Suggestion

• Christer Jorgensen - Great battles
• Operation IRAQI FREEDOM Decisive War, Elusive Peace,2015 - Walter L.Perry, Richard E. Darilek,
Laurinda L.Rohn, Jerry M.Soilinger
• On Point The United State Army in Operation Iraq Freedom,2004 – COL Gregory Fontenot, LTC
E.J.Degan ,LTC David Tohn
• CRS Report for Congress – Operation Iraqi Freedom : Strategies, Approached, Result, and Issues for
Congress,2008,Catherine Dale
• สุรชาติ บารุงสุข รัฐอิสลาม : สงครามอิรักครั้งที่ 3 (The Islamic State : The Third Iraq Waกกษาr),
จุลสารความมั่นคงศึกษา ฉบับที่ 147 (ตุลาคม 2557)
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_War
• วิเคราะห์สงครามอิรัก (Operation Iraqi Freedom) โดย กองวิจัยและพัฒนาการรบ กรมยุทธการทหารอากาศ
https://goo.gl/rYUqab
Reference
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Military history : Operation Iraqi Freedom

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Military history : Operation Iraqi Freedom