truman library symposium 15jul10 1 a 21 st century war kevin benson, phd colonel, us army (ret)

Truman Library Symposium 15JUL10

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A 21ST CENTURY WAR

Kevin Benson, PhD

Colonel, US Army (ret)

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Purpose

• Offer useful information to fellow teachers.• Tell the story of how we developed our

plans for operations in Iraq.• Explain, from my perspective, the external

and internal pressures on the planners.• Share my observations and reflections.


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Britney !!!

Do you know who this is?


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Britney_Spears.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Britney_Spears.jpg

Prof. Weaver Class 13 MAR 08 4Do you know who this is?

http://blogs.usatoday.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2007/10/22/michaelmurphy102207.jpg

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Policy and War • War is merely the continuation of policy by other means.

– We see, therefore, that war is not merely an act of policy but a true political instrument, a continuation of political intercourse, carried on with other means. What remains peculiar to war is simply the peculiar nature of its means. War in general, and the commander in any specific instance, is entitled to require that the trend and designs of policy shall not be inconsistent with these means. That, of course, is no small demand; but however much it may affect political aims in a given case, it will never do more than modify them. The political object is the goal, war is a means of reaching it, and means can never be considered in isolation from their purpose.

Clausewitz, ON WAR, paragraph 24, p. 87


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Damned Reality

Having a Plan

Executing a Plan

Easy (relatively)

HARDThe enemy always

gets a vote!


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A comment that made me go, “HMMM …!!

“It’s hard to conceive that it would take more forces to provide stability in post-Saddam Iraq than it would take to conduct the war itself and to secure the surrender of Saddam’s security forces and his army. Hard to imagine.” Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz, remarks to the House Budget Committee, 27 February 2003


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EVOLUTION OF THE CFLCC OPLAN

VIGILANT GUARDIANSEP 01 – MAR 02

OPLAN BLUEMAR 02 – APR 02

COBRA IIJUL 02 – MAR 03

One CorpsLimited Objective Attack

To create Battlespace and Secure the

Southern Iraqi Oil FieldsTPFDL

Two CorpsSimultaneous

Attack to IsolateBaghdad

Generated Start ForceTPFDL

Two CorpsSequential

Attack to Isolate BaghdadRunning Start Force

TPFDL / Force Packages

Two CorpsSimultaneous

Attack to Remove RegimeTPFDL / Force Modules / RFF’s

? ? ? No TPFDL ? ? ?

Northern Line of Operation• Heavy / Light BCT – Demonstration• Heavy / Light BCT – Limited Objective Attack• Two Division (Coalition) – Supporting Attack• Division Combat Team – Supporting Attack

Continuous tensionregarding amount of

Force required “on theGround” to begin

the Ground Operation

IMMINENTBADGER

APR 02 – JUL 02

ECLIPSE IIJAN 03 – APR 03

Initially Two CorpsRestore Stability

Planning began JUN02

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UNKNOWN

PHASE III

PHASE IV

PHASE II

Preparation

Air Ops

Deployforces

~ 5 DAY

S

PHASE I~ 11

DAYS

N-Day

N= POTUS Decision C = Forces flow BeginA = Air Operations Begin G = Ground Operations Begin

G-Day

A- DayC-Day Air attacks (C+11)

Flow begins

~ 16 DAYS

POTUS Decision

Air bridge

Mobilization

PHASING CONSTRUCT “5-11-16-125” Nov 02

CFLCC LD

~ 125 DAYS (WORST CASE)

Decisive Maneuver Regime Removal / Transition

Shaping Operations

PHASE IV

PHASE III

PH II

PHASE I

Decisive Maneuver Regime Removal / Transition

Setting Theater

ConditionsShaping

Opns

CENTCOM

*Limited Pre-C Day Movements

DJIMO Class 4JAN10 10

Phase III D+15 – D+18

Phase III: Scheme of ManeuverD+15 – D+18 (3- 6 April)

III

Tallil

Jalibah

LSAAdder

3XX

1XX

I I I11

A

M

XXXV

LSA BUSHMASTER XXXI

1

XX

UK

XTF

TARAWAXX

V

XX(-)82

I MEF: Supporting EffortD+15• Established blocking positions prior to

attacking Baghdad DivisionD+16• Attacked to destroy Baghdad Div• Isolates SE Baghdad• Continues destruction of Regime Death

Squads (RDS)• UK forces conducts aggressive patrolling

in zone to destroy RDS

D+17• 1st MARDIV secures OBJ Ravens• 1UK DIV conducts raid on Said Traffic

circle in AL Bashrah (WEST)

D+18• Attacked to extend isolation of Baghdad

V CORPS: Main EffortD+15• 3ID advanced through Karbala Gap

and secure key objectives• F-15E dropped one GBU on friendly

troops D+16• 2BCT, 3ID seized OBJ Saints and

established roadblocks along HWY 1,8 and 9

• 1BCT, 3ID engaging 2 pockets of infantry and a T72 near BIAP

• 82d ABN attacks north of As Samawah

D+17• 3ID secures BIAP and OBJ Saints• 101 AASLT secures AN NAJAF and

FARP ShellD+18• 3ID conducts armored raid through

Baghdad

352CA CMD D+16402d CA BDE delivered 17280 HDR’s and 120 pallets of water to LSA Adder


PHASE III

Phase IV Concept and Nesting

Decisive Maneuver

Regime Removal / Transition

PHASE III

Decisive Maneuver

Regime Removal / Transition

CFC

CFLCC

IVa Stabilization IVb Recovery IVc Transition

BaghdadIsolated

CJTF-IRAQ

Regime Collapse/Military Defeat

CFLCCRedeployed

OFFENSESTABILITY

SUPPORT

The Nature of Operations

IndependentIraqi Govt

PHASE IV

CFLCC exercisesmilitary authority on

regional basis

Interim administration

DP DP

DP DP


Irbil

Kirkuk

Mosul

Baghdad

Karbala

An NajafAl Amarah

Al Basrah

KDP, PUK and Turkomans• Territorial / oil infrastructure

claims.• Score settling against

Sunnis (Arabization).

KDP, PUK and Turkomans• Territorial / oil infrastructure

claims.• Score settling against

Sunnis (Arabization).

Shia holy cities*• Inter Shia power struggles • score settling against

Sunnis.• religious rioting in the past.• An Najaf is the location of

the shrine of Imam Ali B. Abi Talib and the grave site of the martyr Imam Husayn is in Karbala.

Shia holy cities*• Inter Shia power struggles • score settling against

Sunnis.• religious rioting in the past.• An Najaf is the location of

the shrine of Imam Ali B. Abi Talib and the grave site of the martyr Imam Husayn is in Karbala.

• Intra Tribal factionalism.• Score settling against

Sunnis.

• Intra Tribal factionalism.• Score settling against

Sunnis.

Threats to Coalition Force • Resistance from remnants of Iraqi Armed Forces.• Asymmetric Threat .

• Terrorist attacks on LOCs.

• Unconventional use of WMD.

• Atks against Key Oil Nodes.

Threats to Coalition Force • Resistance from remnants of Iraqi Armed Forces.• Asymmetric Threat .

• Terrorist attacks on LOCs.

• Unconventional use of WMD.

• Atks against Key Oil Nodes.

= Internal/ External Threats to Regime

= Direct Threats to Coalition Forces

= Internal/ External Threats to Regime

= Direct Threats to Coalition Forces

Kurd

Kurd/Sunni

Sunni

Shia

Sunni/Shia

Sunni Turkmen

Kurd

Kurd/Sunni

Sunni

Shia

Sunni/Shia

Sunni Turkmen

Phase IV – Flash Points & Threats to Coalition Forces


CFLCC/CJTF-7 Initial Battle space

Border Crossing

XXXV

XXXX

CFLCC

XXX

I

CFLCC/CJTF-7 Initial Battlespace Phase IV Operations


CFLCC/CJTF-7 Initial Battle space

Border Crossing

XXXX

CJTF-7

CFLCC/CJTF-7 Coalition Battlespace Phase IV Operations

XXMND-CSPOL

MND-S

XX

UK

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What does this all mean?

• “The first, the supreme, the most far-reaching act of judgment that the statesman and commander have to make is to establish … the kind of war on which they are embarking; neither mistaking it for, nor trying to turn it into, something that is alien to its nature. This is the first of all strategic questions and the most comprehensive.”


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Why we are in the war• U.S. Strategic Objectives. Operations in Iraq will support the

following U.S. strategic objectives:– A stable Iraq, with its territorial integrity intact and a broad-based

government that renounces WMD development and use and no longer supports terrorism or threatens its neighbors.

– Success in Iraq leveraged to convince or compel other countries to cease support to terrorists and to deny them access to WMD.

• Military Objectives. Operations in Iraq will accomplish the following strategic military objectives:– Destabilize, isolate, and overthrow the Iraq regime and provide

support to a new, broad-based government. – Destroy Iraq WMD capability and infrastructure.– Protect allies and supporters from Iraq threats and attacks.– Destroy terrorist networks in Iraq. Gather intelligence on global

terrorism, detain terrorists and war criminals and free individuals unjustly detained under the Iraq regime.

– Support international efforts to set conditions for long-term stability in Iraq and the region.


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How we've handled it

• Tactically – Not Bad• Operationally – Not Bad• Strategically – Remains to be seen• Policy – Remains to be seen



Phase III D+15 – D+18

The Challenges of Leaving Iraq

Tallil

Jalibah

650 miles

One SeaportTwo Kuwaiti airports

Baghdad Airport

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Observations

• The information age has not suspended the laws of Newtonian physics.

• What can be “controlled” from Washington/Ottawa/London/etc., WILL be “controlled” from there…

• Policy is too important to be left to politicians. Understand the policy making process and when in the position to inform policy makers tell the truth to power.


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Observations

• Read history critically, not how we WANT it to be

• Our country is strong, vibrant, and will get through all of this in fine form. You already know this as you teach young people who are, by and large, really good.


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What the future might hold

• If I could predict the future I’d be living in the Virgin Islands and be invited to Davos to prognosticate.

• I agree with the Army Chief of Staff– I believe the next decades are likely to be ones of persistent

conflict—protracted confrontation among state, non-state and individual actors that use violence to achieve their political and ideological ends. George W. Casey Jr., General, US Army, “The Strength of the Nation” Army Magazine, October 2007.

• The challenge for all of YOU is to encourage young people to THINK, they are the national leaders of the future.


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What we intended to do

• Present our opinions on √ why we are in the war, √ how we've handled it, √ what the future might hold.

• Provide useful information to fellow teachers

THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!!!!


23Truman Library Symposium 15JUL10

Operation Iraqi FreedomChain of Command

CENTCOM

CFLCC

V Corps I MEF

CFACC CFMCC MARCENT CFSOCC

President/Secretary of Defense

CENTCOM = US Central Command

CFLCC = Combined Forces Land Component Command

CFACC = Combined Forces Air Component Command

CFMCC = Combined Forces Maritime Component Command

MARCENT = Marines Forces Central Command

CFSOCC = Combined Forces Special Operations Command

MEF = Marine Expeditionary Force

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ACRONYM LISTTruman Library Presentation

• A- Day = day air combat operations begin• AO = area of operations• BCT = Brigade Combat Team• BDE = Brigade• BN = Battalion• C3 = command, control, communications• CFC = Coalition Forces Command (also

known as CENTCOM)• CGAs = coalition government agencies• CJTF = Combined Joint Task Force• CMO = Civil Military Operations• CMOC = Civil-Military Operations Center• COMCENT = Commander, Central Command

(GEN Franks)• COMCFLCC = Commander, Combined

Forces Land Component Command• CPA = Coalition Provisional Authority• CSS = Combat Service Support (supply &

logistics)• DC = Displaced Civilians, District of Columbia• DoD = Department of Defense• DoE = Department of Energy• DoJ = Department of Justice• DoS = Department of State• DP = Decision Point

• EPW = Enemy Prisoner of War• G-Day = Day ground combat operations begin• HA = Humanitarian Assistance• HACC = Humanitarian Assistance Coordination

Center• HN = Host Nation• HOC = Humanitarian Operations Center• HOC-IZ = Humanitarian Operations Center –

Iraq• HVT = High Value Target• IA-DART = Inter-Agency-Disaster Assistance

Response Team• IOs = international organizations or information

operations• ISG = Iraq Survey Group• IZ = military short hand for Iraq, IR is Iran• JSOA-N = Joint Special Operations Area –

North• KDP = Kurdish Democratic Party• LOC = Line of Communication• LOGCAP = Logistics Civil Augmentation

Program• LSA = Logisitic Support Area


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ACRONYM LISTTruman Library Presentation

• MeK = Mujahadin e’ Khalq, Iraqi backed anti Iranian group based in Iraq• MSC = Major Subordinate Commands• NBC = Nuclear, Biological, Chemical• NGOs = non-governmental organizations• NIC = New Iraqi Corps (the project to rebuild the Iraqi Army)• OGA = Other Government Agencies• OPLAN = Operations Plan• PUK = Patriotic Union of Kurdistan• RA = Regular Army (Iraqi)• RFF = Request for forces• RGFC = Republican Guard Forces Command (Iraqi ground forces)• SCIRI = Supreme Committee for the Iranian Revolution in Iraq (Iranian backed Shia

group that opposed Saddam)

• SF = Special Forces• SOF = Special Operating Forces• SRG = Special Republican Guard (elite unit of the Republican Guard with personal

loyalty to Saddam)• SSE = sensitive site exploitation• SSO = Special Security Organization (Iraqi secret police)• TPFDD = Time phased force deployment data• TPFDL = Time phased force deployment list• UXO = unexploded ordinance• WMD = weapons of mass destruction


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Recommended Reading List

• COBRA II, by Michael Gordon• ON POINT, by Greg Fontenot,

et al• ON POINT II, by COL Tim

Reese, ed.• FIASCO, by Tom Ricks• Tell Me How This Ends, by

Linda Robinson• The Good Soldiers, by David

Finkel

• Rumsfeld: On His Own Terms, by Gordon Bradley

• In the Company of Soldiers, by Rick Atkinson

• Baghdad at Dawn, by Peter Mansoor

• THUNDER RUN, by David Zucchino

• Not A Good Day To Die, by Sean Naylor

• Black Hearts, by Jim Frederick


truman library symposium 15jul10 1 a 21 st century war kevin benson, phd colonel, us army (ret)

Documents

war war

corps simultaneous attack

corps sequential attack

corps limited objective

jun02 slide

attack division combat

attack continuous tension

division coalition