31 March 2003

Operational Paws

It is the second full week of the war. Gen.Tommy R. Franks had his press conference yesterday morning. Tommy seemed calm and steady, not filled with bragadoccio like Stormin' Norman Schwartkpf. Tommy spoke to the press at the remodeled vehicle repair building in Qatar yesterday about the war plan. He said the pundits were screwed up. He denied being in "an operational pause."

"It's simply not the case," he said. "There is a continuity of operations in this plan. That continuity has been seen. It will be seen in the days ahead."

I like it when the grownups talk like that. It makes it seem like there is unifying field theory to this whole endeavor. And maybe there is, all the pandemonium and chaos out there really part of a unified plan. Not just kids lost in blowing sand taking wrong turns into ambushes and getting executed, or being dragged off to where evil people wait with metal cots and car batteries.

I wish Tommy had gone on and said that what happened was that someone had cried "Havoc!" and let slip the dogs of war, that was in the plan, and then the grand plan, with branches and sequels had changed ever so slightly and then went to call the dogs back to redirect them. So it wasn't a pause, it was "paws." Operational paws. Next question!"

The truth is one of the first things to go in any conflict. This isn't any different, and the Psychological Operations campaign is ramping up. They are saying again that Saddam hasn't been seen. But his government didn't fall overnight, much as I had hoped for it and the funny spokesman with the big mustache vowed a wave of suicide bombings against American troops. Thirteen were injured when a Kuwaiti contractor drove a white pickup into a line waiting at the PX outside Kuwait City. They shot the driver as he back up to make another run.

The BBC tells me 5,000 more troops are headed for the central combat zone near an Nasariyah. They were part of the plan all along, they just happened to be doing something else until the day before yesterday. Maybe inspecting the paws on the family dog. They will support the First Marine Division moving street by street north to take on Iraqi forces in towns along the long supply lines supporting the approach to Baghdad. The division's assistant commander called the strategy "liberation tactics" aimed at members of the Baath Party organizing resistance. "People are beginning to rat them out," said the general after a raid on a party headquarters. Weapons were seized, though the rattee escaped. On the downside, a Marine UH-1 helicopter crashed while trying to refuel. Three Marines died.

British forces continued to consolidate Basra, and soon may be able to establish a secure zone to begin delivering relief aid. That will be a huge plus in the battle for hearts-and-minds. Early yesterday, Royal Marines killed a Republican Guard colonel who was ordering Fedaheen to fire on civilians trying to flee the city. But the progress had a price. The Ministry of Defense said a British soldier was killed and several others were injured. And one wounded Brit accused a "cowboy" in an A-10 Warthog of reckless violence in a friendly-fire incident.

The swirl continues. It is late afternoon and the tactical units have been operating all day. We will get the news soon as we start our day here, and the crews will be briefing shortly for the night strikes against Baghdad which will happen st after lunch here. There isn's any way to call the dogs of war back. And there isn't any operational paws. We heard that right from the podium.