Car Bombs in Baghdad

Kasik · 05-13-2014, 09:36

I hate seeing this continuing at the apparent fever pitch it is -

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/...2c4_story.html

Astronomy · 05-13-2014, 22:10

Pathetic isn't it? We had that place pretty well sewn up by 2011. In a lot of respects, Baghdad was less dangerous by then than downtown Chicago on an average weekend.

Now the violence is back up to full throttle. Like we were never there.

Fucking White House, DoS, & Congress threw it all away. Now I somewhat understand how the Vietnam Vets felt in the aftermath of withdrawal from that conflict.

WarriorDiplomat · 05-14-2014, 16:43

Yeah it was Pathetic the way we left and anyone who understands politics saw it coming with a reelection year coming up. I was at CJSTOF-I the last 3 mos. and was working the force pro piece. The General was briefed on our sustainment plan he was pushing forward until the plug was pulled. I was writing contracts for T-Walls and other security measure and the next week the General telling us that we had a week to get everyone out of country. Tearing down and inventorying all the equipment coordinating airlifts shutting down the Camp on Balad and homeward bound within days.

Big Army got way to aggressive in the country and had no plan for what they would do once we had to leave. Worse yet they had no idea what the consequences would be when Saddam and his people were taken out of power with no shadow government in place to take over. Remember the Sunni initiative?? Most leaders and historians agreed that Saddam was just another crazy dictator but he knew how to control that region. Also Iraq was the stability that seperated the Shia in Iran from the Sunni in Syria. When we left it was well known that the Iranians were well dug in to the Iraqi infrastructure.

We had a great sustainable plan for post OIF with the teams staying in country and advising the new government and military as we slowly pulled the umbelical cord away. No big Army ideology cluttering up what we do best just SOF advising equipping and keeping our fingers on the pulse.

Oh well What could have been.

Kasik · 05-14-2014, 18:32

I was with LTG McKiernan as SOF liaison at what we first called "North Palace" shortly after the 3rd ID and "other" elements seized SIAP.

McKeirnan had solid grasp of where to go next in Baghdad / Iraq.

There was favorable and strong talk of him being made military governor of the country and that's what CFLCC Main and Forward were leaning forward in the harness on.

Numerous meetings were being arranged and held at the Palestine Hotel with sub-commanders and civilian advisors cross-talking with Iraqi GOV officials and high ranking Iraqi MIL officers.

Then the word came down that Bremmer was stepping in and stepping over McKiernan.

And that's when it really went to hell in a handbasket.

Attached pic is of McKiernan with Tommy Franks at North Palace (later called Camp Victory) celebrating the initial success of the invasion and the Aw Faw Palace bridgeway post JDM strike.

JMonty · 05-14-2014, 19:11

Not surprising. Even us regular troops were talking about this exact scenario in 2009-2010 during the Iraqi elections that year. The "Commandos" we trained were a pretty good group of guys. I often think of them and hope they remember the medical training we gave them.

WarriorDiplomat · 05-15-2014, 19:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kasik

I was with LTG McKiernan as SOF liaison at what we first called "North Palace" shortly after the 3rd ID and "other" elements seized SIAP.

McKeirnan had solid grasp of where to go next in Baghdad / Iraq.

There was favorable and strong talk of him being made military governor of the country and that's what CFLCC Main and Forward were leaning forward in the harness on.

Numerous meetings were being arranged and held at the Palestine Hotel with sub-commanders and civilian advisors cross-talking with Iraqi GOV officials and high ranking Iraqi MIL officers.

Then the word came down that Bremmer was stepping in and stepping over McKiernan.

And that's when it really went to hell in a handbasket.

Attached pic is of McKiernan with Tommy Franks at North Palace (later called Camp Victory) celebrating the initial success of the invasion and the Aw Faw Palace bridgeway post JDM strike.

I think your probably right Paul Bremmer and his CPA's all over the country really put restraints on all of us at a time when the country needed that type of leadership the military being in charge would have provided.

At the end of the day I think all of us who served in that place feel some guilt for the ones we left behind with empty promises our country wouldn't let us keep. I made alot of friends that I think about and wonder if they have been killed because they worked with us.

The Kurds had really rebuilt alot of their areas and was showing alot of growth and promise for the future.

I wonder if we will find ourselves back there again while I'm still in.

Kasik · 05-15-2014, 20:26

I agree.

I spent quality time in Irbil and surrounding area.

Great people, great culture and Northern Watch provided 12 years of rebuilding to occur.

Now I understand Kurdistan as a whole is booming in all respects.

A senior Kurd leader I worked with once told me "The Kurds have only two friends in the world. The mountains and America."

WarriorDiplomat · 05-17-2014, 08:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kasik

I agree.

I spent quality time in Irbil and surrounding area.

Great people, great culture and Northern Watch provided 12 years of rebuilding to occur.

Now I understand Kurdistan as a whole is booming in all respects.

A senior Kurd leader I worked with once told me "The Kurds have only two friends in the world. The mountains and America."

Oh yeah spent some some time in Irbil right before the withdrawal awesome place almost forgot it was Iraq felt like Europe

I was training with the Pesh before going to the CJSOTF...got snagged by the CSM enroute home.

Irbil or Sulimaniyah it was hard to tell who was doing better.