Posted on Jan 18, 2016
Canadian defense chief: Air strikes no longer effective, time for ground combat
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Are we seeing a change in the way the world leadership is recognizing the threat of ISIS since the attacks in Paris?
More nations have begun to devote serious military resources to combat ISIS since the Paris bombings, Saudi Arabia has announced a coalition and is actively engaged in Yemen, Germany is supplying and training the Peshmerga, Iraq is taking back territory, the U.S. has changed to a tactic of going after cash resources, Islamic clerics are speaking out against the practices of ISIS and Belgium, Denmark and Britain have joined sending fighter jets to Iraq.
The focus of the coalition’s fight against the Islamic State (ISIS) needs to change from airstrikes to ground combat, said Canada’s Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan on Sunday.
The Canadian defense chief has said, "It has to be the Iraqi boots on the ground — if you don't have the boots on the ground, you cannot win," "The focus of the coalition’s fight against the Islamic State (ISIS) needs to change from airstrikes to ground combat."
More nations have begun to devote serious military resources to combat ISIS since the Paris bombings, Saudi Arabia has announced a coalition and is actively engaged in Yemen, Germany is supplying and training the Peshmerga, Iraq is taking back territory, the U.S. has changed to a tactic of going after cash resources, Islamic clerics are speaking out against the practices of ISIS and Belgium, Denmark and Britain have joined sending fighter jets to Iraq.
The focus of the coalition’s fight against the Islamic State (ISIS) needs to change from airstrikes to ground combat, said Canada’s Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan on Sunday.
The Canadian defense chief has said, "It has to be the Iraqi boots on the ground — if you don't have the boots on the ground, you cannot win," "The focus of the coalition’s fight against the Islamic State (ISIS) needs to change from airstrikes to ground combat."
Canadian defense chief: Air strikes no longer effective, time for ground combat
Posted from rudaw.net
War on Terror
Terrorism
Middle East
Tactics
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 4
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When has aerial bombing alone ever achieved a tactical victory. Or even strategic bombing. Look at the millions of tons of bombs dropped on Germany and yet their industrial capacity at the end of WWII was greater than at the beginning. Bombing rice paddies in Vietnam didn't do much good either. Until an infantryman occupies a piece of real estate and holds it against all foes, there is no victory. In fighting terrorists, the problem is compounded because the real estate shifts as terrorists have no real estate to defend. Still, the infantryman must simply occupy that real estate wherever the terrorists attempts to settle. That's why the infantry must be flexible and highly mobile. Bombing, artillery and armor all have their place in support of the infantryman, but victory lies in the hands of the infantry alone. And, dear God, please, let's not get started on that "hearts and minds" thing. Today's enemy cannot be pacified. Only destroyed.
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CPT Jack Durish
CW5 Charlie Poulton - I wish I could remember the title or author of a report I once read of the final days before Japan surrendered. It was an academic study by a Japanese author in which we learn of the willingness of Japan to fight on even following the two nuclear detonations, how they had to make two recordings of the Emperor's speech hoping that at least one made it to the broadcast station. It recounted the inventory of Japanese fighter planes, hundreds of them, and the army preparedness, including hundreds of thousands of women and children who were going to swarm the beaches and detonate explosives among Americans expected to land there. The bombs didn't end the war. It was the sound of the Emperor's voice that the people were obligated to obey. There too Fat Man and Little Boy weren't the prime motivators of his decision.
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CPT Jack Durish
CPT (Join to see) - Every branch of the service touts its own contributions and they may be well proud of them. However, which is decisive? Indeed, without the infantry marching into Iraq (remember they stopped at the border) Sadaam remained in power and even bragged of having defeated America despite the massive air campaign that the world watched. He wasn't actually defeated until the second war. Remember Baghdad Bob claiming that the Americans were losing, being decimated by the vaunted Republican Guard, while we expected to see American troops to appear in the background as he spoke (some even joke that they did).
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LTC David Brown
The Serb aggression against Bosnia was stopped by an air campaign, I was wondering if others agreed.
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COL Ted Mc
SN Greg Wright - Seaman; Hey, it happened in 1812, and again in 1914, and again in 1939 (and also in 1941 - but only by one day) so don't complain too much.
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CPT (Join to see) - Captain; Other than the fact that the picture is misleading (Mr. Sajjan has resigned his commission), he isn't saying anything that anyone with any experience/knowledge of "unconventional warfare" doesn't acknowledge.
The fish will continue to swim in the ocean unless you build dams and drain the lakes created. Throwing rock into the surf simply isn't going to work.
The fish will continue to swim in the ocean unless you build dams and drain the lakes created. Throwing rock into the surf simply isn't going to work.
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