Posted on: Friday, March 28, 2003

Commander expects prolonged war

By Rick Atkinson
Washington Post

FORWARD OPERATING BASE SHELL, Iraq — The Army's senior ground commander in Iraq, Lt. Gen. William Wallace, said yesterday that overextended supply lines and a combative adversary using unconventional tactics have stalled the U.S. drive toward Baghdad and increased the likelihood of a longer war than many strategists had anticipated.

"The enemy we're fighting is different from the one we'd war-gamed against," said Wallace, commander of V Corps, during a visit to the 101st Airborne Division headquarters here in central Iraq.

Wallace said the duration of the pause will depend on advice from his logisticians.

Army sources said there is also concern about the wide gap between the Army forces driving up the western edge of the Euphrates River valley and Marines farther east, on the other side of the Euphrates along a road leading to Al Kut. Additional Army units are en route to Iraq, including the 4th Infantry Division and the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, but it will be weeks before any substantial additional combat power moves into the fight.

Wallace gave public voice to what senior officers in Iraq have been saying privately for several days.

Asked whether combat developments in the past week increased the likelihood of a much longer war than some planners had forecast, he said, "It's beginning to look that way."