Wednesday, August 18, 2004

Assessing blame

Robbed this from IntelDump:

"For Want of a Horseshoe Nail?Effectiveness of Stability Operations During the Initial Implementation of the Transition Phase for Operation Iraqi Freedom."

by Colonel Paul F. Dicker

March 2004

SUMMARY: U.S. strategy after armed conflict in Iraq was to seal the victory through re-establishment of infrastructure and establishment of democratic civil bodies of government. Prior to the conflict there were several studies that highlighted critical military actions required to insure successful post-conflict stabilization of Iraq. These requirements were not accomplished. The stabilization effort was complicated by the looting and lawlessness resulting from the collapse of regime's military and security force. Failures in planning and operations, coupled with several inaccurate assumptions, degraded post-conflict stabilization efforts and likely lengthened the post-conflict period of violence and lawlessness. This paper examines and analyzes the post conflict stability planning and operations, civil-military operations, and obstacles to achieving U.S. strategic goals in Iraq during the first 60 days of the conflict. [my emphasis]

Click through to see the entire report from the Army War College.

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