6.1 |
Development of the military options for an invasion of
Iraq
Objectives,
underpinned by a section identifying the objectives and themes of
such
a campaign.
1228.
The paper
included a new analysis on urban operations in Iraq, which
were
described
as “the ‘vital ground’ of any campaign against Iraq”. In contrast
with the
analysis in
the previous version of the paper, the SPG stated that it would
“not be
possible,
or desirable” for land operations “to avoid towns and cities”,
where: “Any
factional
conflict following regime collapse or during the aftermath” was
likely to take
place.
Baghdad would be “a special case”.
1229.
Addressing the
Coalition response, the paper stated that it could
not:
“… engage
in drawn out urban conflict since it lacks the experience training
and
specialist
equipment to do so without heavy casualties. Such casualties,
combined
with loss
of tempo and humanitarian effects may undermine coalition will to
continue
by
alienating home, international and regional
supporters.”
1230.
The paper
identified the need to understand the “infrastructure,
culture,
population,
terrain, threats” in cities and commented that the US had invested
thousands
of man
hours in analysing Baghdad, “but that relatively little work has
been done on
Tikrit, a
city more likely to be the responsibility of those on the northern
axis”.
1231.
The SPG
identified information operations and physical separation and
the
control of
movement into and out of cities as “key conditions” for
engagement.
1232.
The paper also
added an objective to develop a “broad military
alliance
against Iraq”.
1233.
The SPG
identified the post‑conflict phase as “strategically decisive” and
called
for it to
be “adequately addressed” in any winning concept. That is addressed
in
Section 6.4.
1234.
Adm Boyce
decided on 18 December that the option of a division with
two
brigades
should be developed for deployment in the North.
1235.
Options for
enhancing the Amphibious Task Group and deploying a
second
light
brigade and follow‑on forces should also be developed for the
South.
1236.
Submitting a
paper on “Land Options” on 16 December, Lt Gen Reith
stated: “The
UK must now
confirm its land contribution in order that final and detailed
planning can
479
Minute
Reith to COSSEC, 16 December 2002, ‘Land Options for the UK’
attaching Paper CJO,
‘Land Options
for the UK’.
359