Roadside Bombs & IEDs (catch all)

[Strickland]

While maybe just a gut reaction, this sounds like one of the more idiotic and expensive courses of action that we have contemplated or attempted. During my time in Iraq, regardless of how many IEDs we recovered, how many hours we spent patrolling and clearing routes, movement along MSRs was controlled by individuals belonging to Movement Control, who themselves did not participate in clearing operations, nor understood anything other than trying to move things from point A to B. When an IED was discovered on one route, they would simply find another road, and abuse that with traffic until an IED attack, and then find a third route. This cedes routes and entire areas to the insurgents, and prevents freedom of movement and action for ground troops.

Based of this argument, we will build new roads that I assume only US and Iraqi forces can use, thus further alienating the population. The insurgency is the product of long standing grievances that need to be eliminated. By building new roads, we are admitting that we cannot control the current MSRs, and that the insurgents are stronger than we are.

I will continue to argue that they only way to effectively mitigate the IED threat is by persistent infantry patrols and a continued presence.

[Jones_RE]

It sends a great message to the locals about our ability to provide them with security that we cannot even secure our own forces . . . . While there might be certain unique, tactical situations where a new road is the most appropriate solution I'd say that the driving concern should be the welfare of the local people and not the security of our (heavily armed, by comparison) truck drivers. While US public opinion is important in this war, Iraqi public opinion is more so.

Also note the somewhat schizophrenic nature of this action - all the scuttlebutt in the news says that we'll be drawing our forces down sharply in 2006 and yet they want to spend millions of dollars on a project that probably won't even be started this year . . . .

[Hal Schyberg]

The biggest problem with the war in Iraq is American public opinion. We do live in a democracy with freedom of speech. We have to start telling the other story if we are to succeed in this Propaganda conflict. Our own media it seems is in support of the insurgency.
Still we must have more troops on the ground and they must over watch all the high traffic areas day and night. If we build new roads and fail to do this simple thing we will simply have the same problem on the new road

[Stratiotes]

It would be funny if it weren't so sad. I cannot believe there is anybody in favor of this even at the DoD.

[Strickland]

Thompson, Kitson, and Callwell must be rolling in their graves.

I am quite familiar with the Small Wars Manual 1935 and 1940 editions, and I dont remember the section that says if you cant secure your AO find another one that you can.

Wasnt one of the main issues the British had in 1920 the inability to secure interior lines/lines of communications?