The Preparations for the Fallujah Assault

Former Marine officer and Iraq veteran Chester
has more on the "battlefield shaping" preparations to assault Fallujah.
The enemy has been engaged in some battlefield preparation of his own by
attacking lines of communications in an attempt to force the dispersal of US
forces to security duties. Twenty Americans were wounded in a spate
of attacks outside in Ramadi and elsewhere. Reuters
describes the desertion of a Kurdish company commander who they describe as
being in possession of the Fallujah battle plan which may or may not be related
to enemy counterintelligence. This kind of skirmishing has preceded every
set-piece battle from time immemorial. The Seattle
Times reports:

Reports are circulating among Iraqi and U.S. officials that large numbers
of insurgents have already left the Fallujah area in anticipation of the
coming invasion. The militants are reportedly fanning to other cities in the
Sunni Triangle, where they will stage diversionary attacks -- and underscore
that despite an expected defeat for insurgent forces in Fallujah, the rebel
movement remains strong.

"There will be horrific events outside Fallujah," said a senior
U.S. diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity. "I would never tell
you that violence in Sunni areas won't get worse when you open up a
battle." He added that officials expect that period to last "not
many weeks." "You will have a shortish period when everybody will
say the whole country's falling apart but they (the insurgents) will not be
able to maintain that tempo."

But fundamentally the enemy can do nothing to dilute the concentration of
combat power that is gathering all around Fallujah. This combat power not only
takes the form of traditional firepower and infantry strength but also
informational power. Chester links to an SFGate article suggesting the US will
use UGVs
(ground robots) in the upcoming battle. Some of these, like the Marine
Gladiator, have been described in the press. A wide variety of ground and
air vehicles have been in development and limited use even from the start of Operation
Iraqi Freedom. Although the larger systems are controlled by datalinks which
range out to thousands of miles, the smaller systems are controlled by line of
site devices and wireless protocols that are essentially identical to the kind
used in your laptop. The establishment of a wireless router infrastructure and
the integration of these individual unmanned systems has become one of the key
preparatory tasks of the battlefield. Once the assault begins in earnest these systems will help
control fires, identify friend from foe and coordinate the battle. This is
especially necessary because American forces will go through houses and alleys in
built up areas, walking through walls with explosive dooropeners. There will be
many small units maneuvering out of visual contact with each other. The air will
be thick with American air and UAVs but that will only help if these
can coordinate with one another and the people on the ground.

Yet after the last technological refinement has been applied, the Marine
infantry will go forward to close with an enemy many of whom have traveled
thousands of miles specifically to kill them; pilgrims of death. The Marines
will want to live; and yet by some miracle they will advance. There in the
ancient Land Between the Rivers young men from big cities and small towns will
perform the most incomprehensible act of generosity on earth and press their
extravagant gift into our uncertain hands.