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From: Army Times
U.S. and Iraqi military planners are gearing up for the long-awaited battle of Mosul, which will likely begin in April or May and mount a fighting force of up to 25,000 Iraqi and Kurdish troops to force out the Islamic extremists who have controlled the city for nine months.
In a rare public disclosure of future battle plans, a U.S. Central Command official outlined the operational planning for reporters in a briefing Thursday.
Current planning envisions that five Iraqi army brigades of "fighting forces," backed by three Kurdish peshmerga brigades, will "contain from the north," the CENTCOM official said.
Plans also call for a "Mosul fighting force" that will include many former Mosul police officers and Sunni tribesmen, which will push into the densely populated neighborhoods of the predominantly Sunni city, the official said.
For months, U.S. military officials have pointed to Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city, as a major milestone in the campaign against the Islamic State group, which has about 1,000 to 2,000 fighters in Mosul, the CENTCOM official said.
Mosul is the largest city controlled by the Islamic State across its territory in Iraq and Syria and is central to the group's stated intention to recreate an Islamic caliphate. Islamic State forces seized the city in June as several Iraqi army brigades offered no resistance, fleeing the advancing militants and abandoning arsenals of U.S.-made weaponry.
Preparations now underway include "shaping and isolating" the future battlefield of Mosul and providing U.S.-led training for the Iraqi troops who will be fighting. The CENTCOM official said U.S. and Iraqi military planners want to launch the invasion in April or May, in part to avoid the worst of Iraq's summer heat and this year's Ramadan holiday that begins in June.
But that timeframe will be slipped if the Iraqis are not considered ready, the official said.
"If they are not ready, if the conditions are not set ... we have not closed the door on sliding that to the right," the CENTCOM official said of the operation's timing.
About 2,600 U.S. troops are in Iraq, many of them advising, assisting and training Iraqi troops.
It's unclear whether the invasion of Mosul will include a small number of American forces on the ground with Iraqi combat troops to serve as joint terminal attack controllers, or JTACs, to help provide accurate targeting information for U.S. air support.
Pentagon officials say no American JTACs have been on the ground to this point. During the final planning phases for the invasion of Mosul, the potential need for JTACs will be evaluated and options presented up the chain of command for President Obama to consider, the CENTCOM official said.
It is highly unusual for military officials to offer planning details about future operations. When a reporter asked the CENTCOM official, who spoke during an official briefing on condition of anonymity, why he was providing the details, he said it was to show "the level of commitment [the Iraqis] have to this. ... This is their plan, they have bought into it."
The official said the overall effort to defeat the Islamic State, also referred to as ISIL, is going well.
"Militarily, ISIL is in decline," he said. "The military component, the military part of the campaign remains on track" and is "generally unfolding as planned."
He downplayed the suggestion that the Islamic State's influence was expanding beyond Iraq, saying that the group provides "leadership and inspiration" to militant forces that have been operating for years in countries like Afghanistan and Libya.
And he downplayed the attack on Feb. 13 when about 25 Islamic State militants dressed in Iraqi army uniforms attacked the perimeter of al-Asad Air Base in Anbar province. About 320 U.S. troops are helping to train Iraqi troops and Sunni tribal militias were on the sprawling base but were not involved in the fighting or injured.
The CENTCOM official referred to that as "micro-offensive capability" that exists to a limited degree despite a defensive posture overall and a broader erosion of ISIL power.
http://www.armytimes.com/story/military/pentagon/2015/02/19/centcom-battle-of-mosul-could-begin-in-april/23697219/
U.S. and Iraqi military planners are gearing up for the long-awaited battle of Mosul, which will likely begin in April or May and mount a fighting force of up to 25,000 Iraqi and Kurdish troops to force out the Islamic extremists who have controlled the city for nine months.
In a rare public disclosure of future battle plans, a U.S. Central Command official outlined the operational planning for reporters in a briefing Thursday.
Current planning envisions that five Iraqi army brigades of "fighting forces," backed by three Kurdish peshmerga brigades, will "contain from the north," the CENTCOM official said.
Plans also call for a "Mosul fighting force" that will include many former Mosul police officers and Sunni tribesmen, which will push into the densely populated neighborhoods of the predominantly Sunni city, the official said.
For months, U.S. military officials have pointed to Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city, as a major milestone in the campaign against the Islamic State group, which has about 1,000 to 2,000 fighters in Mosul, the CENTCOM official said.
Mosul is the largest city controlled by the Islamic State across its territory in Iraq and Syria and is central to the group's stated intention to recreate an Islamic caliphate. Islamic State forces seized the city in June as several Iraqi army brigades offered no resistance, fleeing the advancing militants and abandoning arsenals of U.S.-made weaponry.
Preparations now underway include "shaping and isolating" the future battlefield of Mosul and providing U.S.-led training for the Iraqi troops who will be fighting. The CENTCOM official said U.S. and Iraqi military planners want to launch the invasion in April or May, in part to avoid the worst of Iraq's summer heat and this year's Ramadan holiday that begins in June.
But that timeframe will be slipped if the Iraqis are not considered ready, the official said.
"If they are not ready, if the conditions are not set ... we have not closed the door on sliding that to the right," the CENTCOM official said of the operation's timing.
About 2,600 U.S. troops are in Iraq, many of them advising, assisting and training Iraqi troops.
It's unclear whether the invasion of Mosul will include a small number of American forces on the ground with Iraqi combat troops to serve as joint terminal attack controllers, or JTACs, to help provide accurate targeting information for U.S. air support.
Pentagon officials say no American JTACs have been on the ground to this point. During the final planning phases for the invasion of Mosul, the potential need for JTACs will be evaluated and options presented up the chain of command for President Obama to consider, the CENTCOM official said.
It is highly unusual for military officials to offer planning details about future operations. When a reporter asked the CENTCOM official, who spoke during an official briefing on condition of anonymity, why he was providing the details, he said it was to show "the level of commitment [the Iraqis] have to this. ... This is their plan, they have bought into it."
The official said the overall effort to defeat the Islamic State, also referred to as ISIL, is going well.
"Militarily, ISIL is in decline," he said. "The military component, the military part of the campaign remains on track" and is "generally unfolding as planned."
He downplayed the suggestion that the Islamic State's influence was expanding beyond Iraq, saying that the group provides "leadership and inspiration" to militant forces that have been operating for years in countries like Afghanistan and Libya.
And he downplayed the attack on Feb. 13 when about 25 Islamic State militants dressed in Iraqi army uniforms attacked the perimeter of al-Asad Air Base in Anbar province. About 320 U.S. troops are helping to train Iraqi troops and Sunni tribal militias were on the sprawling base but were not involved in the fighting or injured.
The CENTCOM official referred to that as "micro-offensive capability" that exists to a limited degree despite a defensive posture overall and a broader erosion of ISIL power.
http://www.armytimes.com/story/military/pentagon/2015/02/19/centcom-battle-of-mosul-could-begin-in-april/23697219/
Mosul
ISIS
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 27
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"It is highly unusual for military officials to offer planning details about future operations. When a reporter asked the CENTCOM official, who spoke during an official briefing on condition of anonymity, why he was providing the details, he said it was to show "the level of commitment [the Iraqis] have to this. ... This is their plan, they have bought into it.""
Interesting paragraph:
[1] The planning had nothing to do with President Obama.
[2] The "Pentagon official" breached his oath of office.
[3] The "Pentagon offical" obviously doesn't give a damn about the lives of the soldiers (and cares even less about allied soldiers).
[4] Absolutely nothing whatsoever is going to happen to the "Pentagon official" who breached OpSec.
[5] No one is ever going to find out who the "Pentagon official" was.
[6] Everyone is going to blame President Obama when the plan, which the "Pentagon official" released to Da'esh, fails.
Interesting paragraph:
[1] The planning had nothing to do with President Obama.
[2] The "Pentagon official" breached his oath of office.
[3] The "Pentagon offical" obviously doesn't give a damn about the lives of the soldiers (and cares even less about allied soldiers).
[4] Absolutely nothing whatsoever is going to happen to the "Pentagon official" who breached OpSec.
[5] No one is ever going to find out who the "Pentagon official" was.
[6] Everyone is going to blame President Obama when the plan, which the "Pentagon official" released to Da'esh, fails.
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COL Ted Mc
CPT Craig Church, ASLA, LEED GA Captain; You have to remember that "No comment - and you know that it's not legal for me to answer that question anyway." doesn't enhance your chances of future employment with a high paying firm.
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COL Ted Mc
CPT Craig Church, ASLA, LEED GA Captain; You also have to remember that "OK, I'll tell you a whole bunch of stuff that I'm not allowed to tell you and which could possibly cause people to get killed on the condition that you don't tell anyone who you got it from because I know that that will help me get a job with your company when I retire." DOES enhance your chances of future employment with a high paying firm.
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According to this article the Pentagon is calling CENTCOM's action a mistake.
http://www.military.com/daily-news/2015/03/04/pentagon-calls-mosul-briefing-a-mistake-by-centcom.html?comp= [login to see] 70&rank=1
http://www.military.com/daily-news/2015/03/04/pentagon-calls-mosul-briefing-a-mistake-by-centcom.html?comp= [login to see] 70&rank=1
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From the Army Times (1944 Version)
From: Army Times
U.S. and Allied military planners are gearing up for the long-awaited battle of Normandy, which will likely begin in May or June and mount a fighting force of up to 250,000 American and Allied troops to force out the Nazis who have controlled the continent for 5 years.
In a rare public disclosure of future battle plans, a Supreme Allied Command official outlined the operational planning for reporters in a briefing Thursday.
Current planning envisions that five allied brigades of "fighting forces," backed by multiple follow on brigades, will "cross across the channel," and land at various points the official said.
From: Army Times
U.S. and Allied military planners are gearing up for the long-awaited battle of Normandy, which will likely begin in May or June and mount a fighting force of up to 250,000 American and Allied troops to force out the Nazis who have controlled the continent for 5 years.
In a rare public disclosure of future battle plans, a Supreme Allied Command official outlined the operational planning for reporters in a briefing Thursday.
Current planning envisions that five allied brigades of "fighting forces," backed by multiple follow on brigades, will "cross across the channel," and land at various points the official said.
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Or maybe this is a way to fly predators, identify target packages, shape the battlefield, and get civilians out of the way prior to commencing to a large scale battle that could be very fluid and extremely dangerous in a large city. Then maybe this way we can get more insight to possible variables on the field and let the Kurds vet the squirters that leave now since they have already been in place choking at the bit to move forward but having been waiting on approval of Iraqi forces for the last 2 months.
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2LT Scott Armstrong
Apparently we're going to focus group our strategy to see what flies with the American people and the world stage before we act. At least this gives us time to host several job fairs and perhaps we will all be living in peace and prosperity before April once the Jihadis are gainfully employed.
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COL Ted Mc
2LT Scott Armstrong Lieutenant; Please re-read Army Staff Manual 4789.21 / 47b "Language Directions for the Conduct of General Staff Meetings" (especially Chapter 4879 'One ought not instruct one's parent's direct maternal ancestor in the art of extracting the liquid contents of the spheroidal bodies produced by avians through the application of buccally produced negative pressure.') and redraft your post to include at least 37 buzz words and five references to PowerPoint.
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MSgt (Join to see)
I may not like the approach but I still have faith in my leaders. I believe Gen Austin to be a smart and capable man. When I lose trust that those appointed in positions above the men and women of the US forces, it will be time for me to leave and move on. Until then I have faith that they will not willing accept undue risk the lives of the service members under their command.
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So who are the unlucky souls that this administration has sent into the fire this time? Is it the Marines that are already over there or is it the Army soldiers that are on their way over there? This is just like when they broadcast that they are sending an Infantry Brigade combat team over to Kuwait a few months ago
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Amazing that once again "we" telegraph our intentions to the people we are committing ourselves to going after...smfh......
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