Six Questions for Doug Macgregor on Iraq and the Surge

[tequila]

Here's a FRONTLINE interview with COL Macgregor where he clarifies a bit the scenario he was looking at for OIF I. I remember in Cobra II that he was ID'd as one of the main inspirations for Rumsfeld's concept of going in light. Specifically he said that it would only take 50k troops to knock over Saddam and that going in with over 120k was needless overkill.

In the interview he specifically advocates shooting straight through to Baghdad as fast as possible to topple the regime. He emphasizes that the IA would not fight, and that it was of paramount importance to get reconstituted Iraqi Army and police back into action as soon as possible for internal security. Essentially a decapitation strategy, but holding the rest of the regime, or at least its security forces, in place.

[SteveMetz]

Here's a FRONTLINE interview with COL Macgregor where he clarifies a bit the scenario he was looking at for OIF I. I remember in Cobra II that he was ID'd as one of the main inspirations for Rumsfeld's concept of going in light. Specifically he said that it would only take 50k troops to knock over Saddam and that going in with over 120k was needless overkill.

In the interview he specifically advocates shooting straight through to Baghdad as fast as possible to topple the regime. He emphasizes that the IA would not fight, and that it was of paramount importance to get reconstituted Iraqi Army and police back into action as soon as possible for internal security. Essentially a decapitation strategy, but holding the rest of the regime, or at least its security forces, in place.

By the way, Franks and the CENTCOM staff thought that was a VERY bad idea and had to disabuse Rumsfeld of it. Kind of hard to imagine how we could have gone as fast as we did with a smaller force. Even a 50K force would have needed resupply and someone had to control the LOCs.

And, it's worth noting, the actual plan also emphasized getting the Iraqi army and police back in place as quickly as possible. Didn't work out.

[Global Scout]

I think CO Macgregor's statements/arguments were only half truths at best. I can't help but think he has an agenda to undermine the current strategy in Iraq, and if he was one of the 10lb brains that suggested we go to Baghdad with 50,000 troops, because the Iraqi Army won't fight, then it sounds like he has an axe to grind, because he now knows with the benefit of hindsight he gave terribly flawed advice. It was a best case course of action only recommendation with no depth. Obviously he had "no" plan for securing a post-Saddam Iraq, so he seems to delight now in poking holes in the current strategy, which admittedly is far from perfect, but still a good approach to perhaps undue the damage done by the initial "failed" strategy, which he apparently helped shape/influence.

A troop surge is not strategic? He downplays the great awakening, without offering a better strategy. Seems a little out in left field to me.

Again I don't necessarily disagree with the underlying logic of most of his arguments, but I do disagree with his tone, and his failure to offer a better approach. Oddly enough the one answer that is not debatable was six, and you guys disagreed (lol). His tone again failed him, as he portrayed it as plunder, rather than trying to secure an important source of oil for the global economy.

[slapout9]

Thanks for all the responses....looks like I have some reading to do.

[SteveMetz]

Thanks for all the responses....looks like I have some reading to do.

It will give you something to do during those long, dull days in between the mosquito season and the armadillo mating season in Central Alabama.

[slapout9]

Steve, in your adventures in Slapout do you remember a place called Boon- Dockers? If not just wanted to let you know it burned down under mysterious circumstances. I have a friend on the Sheriff's department who responded to the call and he said it was the first time in his life he ever saw two (drunk) rednecks trying to put a building fire out with pool cues

[SteveMetz]

Steve, in your adventures in Slapout do you remember a place called Boon- Dockers? If not just wanted to let you know it burned down under mysterious circumstances. I have a friend on the Sheriff's department who responded to the call and he said it was the first time in his life he ever saw two (drunk) rednecks trying to put a building fire out with pool cues

Don't remember it. But isn't that a redundant name for a place in Slapout?