Defeating Saddam Hussein's Strategy
Abstract
Should war break out between Iraq and the United States, Saddam Hussein will likely adopt a strategy designed to undermine the prestige of the United States and turn the Arab World against the West. A war culminating in a titanic battle for Baghdad would provide Saddam Hussein with the prestige and respect he seeks from the Arab World. His military advisers have likely informed him that urban combat will deprive U.S.-led coalition forces of their technological advantage and result in considerable attrition. He would likely welcome extensive collateral damage to portray the United States as a brutal bully and he, the defiant victim and martyr. For his strategy to work, time and extensive collateral damage is his recipe for strategic victory despite a tactical defeat. The more Saddam Hussein can frustrate the coalition and force it to use excessive force, the greater his chances of splintering the coalition and expelling the United States from the Middle East. For the upcoming campaign against Iraq, a number of assumptions are relevant. After token resistance, the Iraqi ally, with the center of gravity resting on the seven Republican Guard divisions, will turn Baghdad into a fortified city as a means of neutralizing the technological edge of coalition forces. Iraq's immediate goal will be to cause heavy casualties of coalition forces through urban combat and draw out the campaign for months. Subsequent goals will be to entice coalition forces to create collateral damage within Baghdad through Allied air strikes and indirect fire systems. Iraqi propaganda efforts will center on exposing the collateral damage to the international community to excite the sensibilities of America's friends and allies and to garner sympathy among Arab states. Saddam Hussein will seek to turn the Arab world against the United States, which may present opportunities for him to exploit and perhaps prevail.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2003
- Accession Number
- ADA431281
Entities
People
- Raymond A. Millen
Organizations
- United States Army War College