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By Kevin M. Woods
“How did occasions resulting in the autumn of Saddam Hussein’s regime glance from the Iraqi perspective?” that query was once posed to the Joint complex Warfighting Program at the Institute for protection analyses (IDA), triggering the Iraqi views venture (IPP), a learn attempt subsidized via the U.S. Joint Forces command that has added a number of volumes of research and helping fabrics, with extra in production.
The IPP is similar to an attempt started in 1946, while a workforce of U.S. military historians and intelligence officials confirmed a courting with former contributors of the German normal employees to strengthen an knowing of favourite occasions from an surprising viewpoint. This quantity marks the extension of that very same technique less than a distinct sponsor, the nationwide Intelligence Council, to surround a broader spectrum of center jap army historical past from the point of view of Lieutenant normal Ra’ad Hamdani, who in the course of operation Iraqi Freedom commanded Saddam Hussein’s II Republican safeguard Corps.
Interviewed over a few days by means of venture chief Kevin Woods and historian Williamson “Wick” Murray, common Hamdani shared his wisdom a few wide variety of matters, with specific emphasis on his reports in Iraq’s lengthy warfare opposed to Iran.
The project’s aim used to be to supply a chain of non-public, organizational, and crusade histories of up to date Iraq. This quantity is the 1st in that sequence, supplied with the wish that it'll enhance our knowing of heart japanese army idea, the recent Iraqi army, neighboring international locations, and the dynamics of a area of the area that's very important to U.S. interests.
Topics of the discussions themselves ranged from the speedy tactical results of specific activities within the Iran-Iraq conflict, to the interaction among the necessities of tyrannies (religious in addition to secular) to regulate their political destiny, to the calls for of army organisations for professionally powerfuble officials who comprehend strategies and operations and who're capable and prepared to supply sincere judgments of what's taking place or may possibly ensue at the battlefield. In that appreciate, Ayatollah Rhollah Khomeini’s Iran and Saddam’s Iraq exhibited huge similarities, even though Saddam every now and then proved a swifter learner—at least over the process his battle opposed to Iran. at the contrary part, Khomeini and his fellow non secular leaders seem to have clung, all through to the conflict’s finish, to their trust that spiritual fanaticism and innovative spirit could overcome all.
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Additional info for Saddam's War: An Iraqi Mililtary Perspective of the Iran-Iraq War
Example text
Rather, decisions occurred with political intent down to the lowest level—all the way down to the company level. Both militaries lacked senior level officers sufficiently competent to understand the concept of long-term strategy. But even if these capabilities had existed, or if there were a handful of officers who did have the understanding, their influence was disrupted by the political regimes at all levels. The political limits had a paralyzing effect on virtually every decision. Furthermore, both armies suffered from a limited level of education for both soldiers and officers.
I gave orders for the ground forces to respond, but they replied they had orders to do nothing, because everything was shut down, so that they could not use their antiair capabilities. During the early stages of the war, the air forces of the opposing sides had only a secondary role in the conflict, especially on the frontline fighting and close to the border. Over the course of the conflict, their role developed. The ability to distinguish aircraft on the part of air defense operators improved, and we noticed this change.
In the mid-1990s, his persona significantly changed—again for the worse. The defection of his son-in-law, Kamel, to Jordan affected him deeply. From Saddam’s perspective, the worst had happened: a member of the Tikriti mafia—in fact, of his inner family—had betrayed him. As a result, he isolated himself from everyone. Rarely did he go out among the people. He no longer trusted his senior 18 SADDAM'S WAR officers, and some of his senior ministers went up to 2 years without seeing him. Finally, he no longer visited or reviewed the Republican Guards.