Iraq: Failed Mission? The city of Mosul fell to Al Qaeda-affiliated militants

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 10 Jun 2014 22:23:27 -0400

What do you think our mission was in Iraq? Do you think it failed due to cities failing now?

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/06/10/white-house-state-department-condem-escalating-violence-in-iraq/?intcmp=latestnews

'Serious' security concerns as Iraq's second-largest city falls to militants

The White House and State Department on Tuesday condemned “in the strongest possible terms” a five day escalation of violence in northern Iraq as Mosul -- the oil-rich capital of Nineveh province and the country’s second-largest city -- fell to Al Qaeda insurgents.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 10 at 2014 10:29 PM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 10 Jun 2014 22:29:53 -0400

I don't think we failed. I think we were failed.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 10 at 2014 10:55 PM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 10 Jun 2014 22:55:36 -0400

Prepare for this same response to news from Afghanistan within the next 2-3 years.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 11 at 2014 8:58 AM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 11 Jun 2014 08:58:45 -0400

I think that we were wreckless in our cut and run tactics. Iraq was not stabilized prior to us leaving. The AQ and other forces just knew that they had to wait and then try to assume control in the vaccuum left by the US. They knew we were leaving. They had a timeline from western media outlets as announced by our own DoD and other political entities.

It was a matter of time.

I know that this would be a bit of an unpopular opinion, but the Iraqi people were more stable under Hussein than they are post-US incursion. He at least maintained a reasonable state of what would be considered a nation, kept his enemies at bay, and managed to maintain an economy. Right now, because we did not establish the appropriate stability, it has become a state torn by factionalization where everyone is reaching for power. How can the elected leaders of Iraq lead, maintain an economy, develop their country, when their influence only extends as far as their personal circles?

The fact that this lesson has been learned before and is a part of the doctrine developed by Generals Petraeus and Mattis, makes our lack of execution that much more egregious. COIN and Stability takes AT LEAST a decade, if not longer based on the conditions and the players. We were only a few years into true COIN and Stability operations in Iraq, since the initial few years where force on force moving into security operations. We probably did not start true COIN and Stability until 2006 or 2007 in Iraq.

Afghanistan has a similar tone at this point. I agree with many that we can see the exact same, if not worse, in Afghanistan. It would not surprise me if the Taliban reestablished their state in Afghanistan, just like it was prior to 2001.

Response by SSG William Sutter made Jun 11 at 2014 10:03 AM

SSG William Sutter — Wed, 11 Jun 2014 10:03:23 -0400

Can't fail at something if you are told to get out and if your president removes you prior to finishing the job. I look at it as this. I am here to do a job. When I am told to leave- that is when I leave. If the mission of Iraq fails, it didn't fail because of the mission my team did.

Response by SSG Daniel Rosploch made Jun 11 at 2014 10:05 AM

SSG Daniel Rosploch — Wed, 11 Jun 2014 10:05:06 -0400

Some one else said it, "we didn't fail, we were failed." On multiple levels. Low level commanders falsely reported successes in training Iraqi units (its still happening in Afghanistan) and higher commands failed to verify the unheard of successes in training. No one checked to see if what we were doing was actually working. Everyone just wanted a bullet for their NCOER/OER, an end of tour award and hoped to not get sent back.

Politicians failed us by not doing what they could to allow us to stay the course until the end. Regardless of the reasons we went in in the first place, we started something and failed to properly finish it. Men and women died for land that is now gone.

Minus the getting spit on, I know how the Vietnam vets felt, giving up land and hills they fought to take for nothing at all....

Response by SSG Robert Burns made Jun 11 at 2014 10:11 AM

SSG Robert Burns — Wed, 11 Jun 2014 10:11:25 -0400

This deeply saddens me. I spent 15 months in this city and we worked extensively with the Provincial Reconstruction Team. We made so much progress. To see Diamondback and Marez in the hands of ISI now is heart breaking. It makes me want to saddle up and go take it back.
I had 19 linguists with me and some of them are still there and let me know what's going on. It is truly sad and I feel bad for them.

Response by SGT Ben Keen made Jun 11 at 2014 10:26 AM

SGT Ben Keen — Wed, 11 Jun 2014 10:26:48 -0400

I remember rolling into Mosul with the 101st in 2003. We rebuilt schools and got their water up and running. They even had electricity running 24/7 by the time we left.

While I'm not surprised by this news, I am rather set back by it.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 11 at 2014 10:32 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 11 Jun 2014 10:32:06 -0400

I can safely say that most of us here that were over there, didn't fail our mission(s). I agree with the sentiment that we, collectively, were failed by politicians and sometimes leaders who were out of touch with the reality of what was going on the ground.

I am not going to recreate the wheel some of you have stated where you seen the failure and I agree with you on your points. I will not debate the rightness or wrongness (depending on your point of view) of Operation Iraqi Freedom and all its incarnations. I served proudly, I lead my Soldiers proudly with a profound sense of duty. I would do it all over again if I was asked to, but what I do disagree with and have a hard time stomaching is the way we left Iraq.

I get it that there was no bilateral agreement or SOFA, I understand that because of the lack of those documents, we couldn't effectively continue the mission.

And I also look on these stories with a sense of regret, not in the fact that I was there, but all the sacrifices we made as a military seem to be have been wasted. I can't remember who said this quote or where I was when I heard it but it was this: "good soldiers die in combat, that's unavoidable, but don't sacrifice and waste their lives on nothing", and that kinda what it feels like watching these stories, our brothers and sisters lives were wasted on a fools errand.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 11 at 2014 11:09 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 11 Jun 2014 11:09:21 -0400

This was written kinda tongue in cheek a while back. But I wonder if someday someone is actually going to have to give something similar when we are on the precipice of another Middle East excursion.

Patton speech

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 11 at 2014 11:29 AM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 11 Jun 2014 11:29:56 -0400

This is very disheartening. I was there in 03. After the invasion we stop and set up shop there. I was seeing things that would have led be to believe that we were going in the right direction. When I went back to Iraq in 2009 I really didn't see any progress besides what the US has accomplished. I knew they would have a hard time but this is insane. To lose such a large city like that. There is no loyalty in their military. They barely fight and that is only when forced. We did our part and they failed.

Response by SSG Trevor S. made Jun 11 at 2014 12:23 PM

SSG Trevor S. — Wed, 11 Jun 2014 12:23:10 -0400

I said after one of my re-enlistments "I do this so my son and daughter won't have to." In this regard, it looks like we have failed.

Response by Cpl Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 11 at 2014 12:50 PM

Cpl Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 11 Jun 2014 12:50:16 -0400

Sorry about the topic damn phone sucks!!

Response by SGT Stuart Young made Jun 11 at 2014 1:42 PM

SGT Stuart Young — Wed, 11 Jun 2014 13:42:43 -0400

Trying to change cultures that have been the same way forever isn't going to work, especially over in countries like Iraq and Afghanistan. Serving in Afghanistan myself, I saw improvements but I'm not so confident they will stay like that once we withdraw. I'm not saying what we did was all in vain, but enough is enough. We have done all we can do for those people. They need to learn to take charge of their own country. If they really want to change they will. If not, then they will continue their warlike way of life. We do not need any more of our people spilling blood for foreigners who refuse to put in effort on their part. Troops need a break. Afghanistan will either improve or go back like Iraq is doing right now. The U.S. has done a fantastic job but lets focus on our home issues now and give the guys a rest.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 11 at 2014 2:11 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 11 Jun 2014 14:11:51 -0400

I also don't think that we failed.

I look for the KRG to declare independence soon. Real soon. Irbil vacation anyone?

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 11 at 2014 2:46 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 11 Jun 2014 14:46:04 -0400

Second city falls.....

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2014/06/11/iraqi-official-says-authorities-determined-to-recapture-city-overrun-by/

Second Iraq city falls to Al Qaeda-aligned militants

Iraqi authorities are determined to recapture the northern city of Mosul after most of it was overrun by al-Qaida-inspired militants, the provincial governor said Wednesday after he fled the cit...

Response by SGT Aaron Barbee made Jun 11 at 2014 4:31 PM

SGT Aaron Barbee — Wed, 11 Jun 2014 16:31:13 -0400

We did everything we could do with the tools we had. That being said, we gave the Iraqi people valuable tools and assets to continue the mission after we left. What they did or didn't do with them, as well as how much they did or didn't weed out agents in their organizations is not a failure on our part.

Response by MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca made Jun 11 at 2014 9:24 PM

MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca — Wed, 11 Jun 2014 21:24:34 -0400

I believe it was a no win scenario from the start. Our Constitution separates church and state, so how could we expect to roll into a country where church IS state and politics is defined along religious & tribal lines and expect to come out on top? We left them with a pseudo-democracy, that if put to vote in our country wouldn't have passed, and we really expected it to work?

Response by Cpl Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 11 at 2014 9:28 PM

Cpl Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 11 Jun 2014 21:28:09 -0400

To everyone on this thread YOUR GOVERNMENT SET YOU UP TO FAIL NOT THE SERVICE MEMBERS. JUST SO YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL! I WAS NOT THERE BUT I STILL CARE!!!

Response by LCpl Steve Wininger made Jun 11 at 2014 9:29 PM

LCpl Steve Wininger — Wed, 11 Jun 2014 21:29:03 -0400

Once again, political gain was more important. This job should have been taken care of in 91. Because Obama wanted to score political points, he pulled us out too soon.

Response by COL Roxanne Arndt made Jun 11 at 2014 10:14 PM

COL Roxanne Arndt — Wed, 11 Jun 2014 22:14:58 -0400

Yes it is a failed mission, I was there in 2004-2005 and even then we all felt like what the hell are we doing here. Once the US pulled out completely I knew it was a matter of time before it all went to hell! I was in Mosul when they initially had the first elections. So sad to be honest with you.

Response by LCpl Steve Wininger made Jun 11 at 2014 10:15 PM

LCpl Steve Wininger — Wed, 11 Jun 2014 22:15:04 -0400

It would seem that Al-Qaeda will now have two countries as a base of operations. If Obama continues with pulling the troops out of Afghanistan, they will control it also.

Response by Cpl Ray Fernandez made Jun 11 at 2014 11:38 PM

Cpl Ray Fernandez — Wed, 11 Jun 2014 23:38:47 -0400

The military did not fail to do it's part. The leadership that wouldn't work a plan to keep the peace both in our government and in theirs was the problem.

Response by MAJ Jim Woods made Jun 12 at 2014 12:36 PM

MAJ Jim Woods — Thu, 12 Jun 2014 12:36:15 -0400

I like what SGT Rosploch says, "We didn't fail, we were failed".

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 12 at 2014 6:28 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 12 Jun 2014 18:28:21 -0400

At least the Kurds are holding and they took Kirkuk.

Response by SSG Robert Burns made Jun 12 at 2014 10:04 PM

SSG Robert Burns — Thu, 12 Jun 2014 22:04:34 -0400

http://www.duffelblog.com/2014/06/isis-iraq-humvees-captured/#!YcZI5

InsurgentOffensive Bogs Down After Capturing US Humvees

The M1114 HMMWV is known by most as the "Humvee" or by American soldiers as "the fucking Humvee."

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 13 at 2014 1:41 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 13 Jun 2014 13:41:24 -0400

Interesting response.....

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/06/13/militants-vow-to-march-on-baghdad-as-obama-administration-mulls-response/

Obama urges Iraq's leaders to 'solve their problems,' reviewing US options

Iraq’s Shiite-led government appeared unable to form a coherent response Friday after Al Qaeda-inspired militants vowed to march on Baghdad after toppling cities in the country’s north, while the Obama administration weighed its options in how to respond to the crisis.

Response by SSG William Patton made Jun 18 at 2014 11:43 AM

SSG William Patton — Wed, 18 Jun 2014 11:43:52 -0400

Deja vu all over again, to quote Yogi Berra. We expend lives and economic resources to give a people the right to choose the government they want and then watch our politicians undo all the good we in the military service did and sacrificed for. This may be worse than Vietnam because militant Islam is bent on changing the entire middle east in the Islamic religious states, but it will result in civil war in these states because the current Sunni insurgency is opposed to Shia philosophy and those two sides have been fighting for ages. I can't say I am surprised by this administration taking this path because it is now the norm for them to screw up what they touch.