Tactics by Iraq force U.S. shift in strategy

By Jim Michaels
USA Today

KUWAIT — Iraqi forces have spent the past six months preparing for a guerrilla-type war designed to bog down coalition forces by using small groups of paramilitary soldiers who seek refuge in cities and towns, military analysts say.

Iraqi militia surrendered yesterday as 40 British commandos moved into Abu Al Khasib, a suburb of Basra in southern Iraq. Coalition forces are adjusting their plan in response to Iraq's irregular fighters. Associated Press

During the Iran-Iraq War from 1980 to 1988 and the Persian Gulf War in 1991, Iraq's military fought a predictable ground war with static defenses and straightforward attacks. Now, instead of relying on a hierarchical organization where little authority is delegated to junior officers, the Iraqis are relying heavily on individual initiative and small-unit tactics.

"They know they haven't sufficient air power or even conventional forces," says retired Egyptian Maj. Gen. Mohammed Kadry Said. "So they decided to go in the other direction."

Iraq's conventional armored and mechanized forces have taken a beating from air attacks. But the estimated 30,000 to 40,000 irregular troops have displayed an ingenuity reminiscent of Viet Cong guerrillas. Iraqis, using shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles, have disabled at least two U.S. tanks. A suicide bomber killed four U.S. soldiers at a checkpoint in Najaf on Saturday. Iraqi Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan indicated the attack in Najaf was "just the beginning" and warned of terrorist attacks on U.S. or British soil.

Soldiers with the 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry, reported that Iraqis rammed them with trucks and buses last week. The squadron suffered only minor damage and injuries, says its commander, Lt. Col. Terry Ferrell. U.S. forces have faced several machine-gun attacks from Iraqis in pickups.

"Their tactic is to put those trucks right in your face," Ferrell says. "They're not afraid to die. They're not afraid to fight."

Troops say they're surprised by what they've encountered.

"I expected wide open deserts, not the close-in fighting like we were in the last couple of days," says Capt. Jeff McCoy, 30, of Leadville, Colo., commander of C Troop, 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry.

Iraqis are using urban areas for cover and, aware that coalition forces want to avoid civilian casualties, Iraqi irregular forces are infiltrating cities and the Iraqi military is using civilians to screen its movements.

"The irregular element has been greater than we predicted, and their resolve has been greater than expected," British Col. Chris Vernon says. Britain's 7th Armored Brigade has been battling militia and regular soldiers in Basra, Iraq's second-largest city, almost since the beginning of the war.

Coalition forces say they are adjusting their strategy. They have increased security around their supply line. British forces around Basra have decided to root out irregular forces in the city rather than bypassing it, as originally planned. Elements of the Army's 101st Airborne Division plan to seal off and enter Najaf, where irregular fighters are concentrated.

The Iraqis "actually thought this out," says W. Patrick Lang, a retired Army colonel and former Middle East specialist at the Defense Intelligence Agency. "If this isn't a cohesive strategy, I don't know what is."

U.S. officers say the resistance will dwindle once Saddam Hussein and his regime are removed. They predict civilians, no longer fearing retribution, will turn on Saddam's loyalists. But timing is critical. If the war drags on, even minor Iraqi successes could embolden people to fight coalition forces. "If there are successes, it will fuel their morale," Said says.