Another Take on Basra

A reservist serving in Iraq has some fascinating information and opinions on the Basra operation.



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This from an individual in contact with the folks at Powerline. Possibly the most fascinating aspect I think is that Iraqi Army units composed of Anbar Sunnis took part in the Basra Offensive. I have been waiting for some time to see the interaction between Shia and Sunni in military operations. This is good news indeed. This from Powerline:

. . . Nowadays, it has been weeks since we lost a soldier in Anbar. More incredibly Iraqi Army units, composed of Anbari Sunnis, have deployed to Basra to engage in the fighting, under PM Maliki's lead.

A year ago, the mere thought that the much-maligned PM would announce a major Iraqi-led offensive against fellow Shia would have been met with guffaws. Yet he announced it in late March this year, did not seek Coalition permission, and ordered 30,000 Iraqi Army and Police troops to deploy. More incredibly, they did deploy in good order, arriving in less than a week, with some units traveling hundreds of miles. And they fought. And they evacuated their own wounded using their own aircraft back to medical facilities.

Was the performance of the PM or the Iraqi forces up to our standards? Certainly not. Their pre-deployment planning was weak, as was their logistical support. As water and ammunition ran low, their ability and willingness to stay in sustained offensive small-unit combat wavered. The Iraqi units in Baghdad also fought against the Mahdi Army in supporting operations, exhibiting some of the same weaknesses. . . .

Read the entire post.