Background – Strategy – William Arkin critiques the war to date. Los Angeles Times: Too Little Shock, Not Enough Awe Background – Strategy – James Dunnigan on what lessons from history are influencing Saddam’s strategy. StrategyPage: What Saddam Learned from Serbia, Stalin and the SS StrategyPage: Saddam Succeeds with the Secret of Stalingrad StrategyPage: Saddam’s [...]

Background – Strategy – James Webb gives a reality check. War *is* hell. New York Times: The War in Iraq Turns Ugly. That’s What Wars Do Background – Shock and Awe – More on the theory of shock and awe. Washington Post: Shock and Awe The Idea Behind the Buzzwords Background – Strategy – Thomas [...]

Background – Covert Operations – A summary of US covert operations currently underway against Iraq. Washington Post: U.S. Teams Seek to Kill Iraqi Elite Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force – Japan expands its refueling of coalition ships in the Gulf. Associated Press: Japan to Refuel Canadian, Greek Warships US Navy – The USS Nassau and [...]

Background – Iraq – James Dunnigan gives the top 10 myths about the war. StrategyPage: Top Ten Myths About the War in Iraq Background – Strategy – John Keegan analyses what the next steps may be. Daily Telegraph: Pentagon looks north to bring on the back-up divisions Background – Strategy – Ahmed Rashid compares and [...]

Background – Strategy – Thomas Ricks on the war plan to date. Washington Post: War Could Last Months, Officers Say Background – Strategy – John Keegan on the effects that strict rules of engagement are having on coalition forces. Daily Telegraph: Will trying to avoid civilian casualties cause more deaths? Background – Strategy – Ralph [...]

Background – Strategy – An excellent analysis by Ralph Peters on the US war plan to date. Washington Post: Shock, Awe and Overconfidence Background – Strategy – Ralph Peters on the importance of infantry in war. New York Post: Boots on the Ground US Navy – The US is using dolphins for mine sweeping around [...]

Background – Strategy – John Keegan analyses coalition progress to date. Daily Telegraph: Tough decisions at Baghdad gates Background – Strategy – Thomas Ricks analyses coalition progress to date. Washington Post: Unfolding Battle Will Determine Length of War Background – Airpower – James Dunnigan on how the JDAM GPS-guided bomb may fare poorly as a [...]

Analysis – A few thoughts of my own. The non-story so far is that Israel has not been attacked by SCUDs fired from Iraq, thus keeping Israel out of the war. This means the special forces are being very successful in western Iraq. The worst story so far is Turkey not letting the 4th Infantry [...]

Background – Strategy – Edward Luttwak reviews the war plan so far. Daily Telegraph: Dawn of a new kind of war Background – Information Warfare – James Dunnigan on how the US is conducting information warfare against Iraq. StrategyPage: PsyWar Versus Shock and Awe Background – History – A review of the earlier British invasion [...]

BBC – What interests me most, coverage-wise, are the front-line reports from correspondents. Here are the combined Weblogs of the BBC’s front-line correspondents. I am checking this several times a day??? BBC: Reporters’ Log: War in Iraq Background – Shock and Awe – Where the term comes from??? Daily Telegraph: Shock and awe ‘kills will [...]

And it’s go, go, go, go, go! I plan to continue to update, once a day, slightly after midnight Greenwich Mean Time. I’ve just seen incredible live video on CNN of the US Army 7th Cavalry racing towards Baghdad. US Navy – Although it is unclear whether he is dead, it appears that the decapitation [...]

???And away we go??? US Navy – The US commences hostilities against Iraq with a decapitation attack against Saddam Hussein in the early morning hours in Iraq. No sign yet of the “shock and awe” though??? CNN: Bush gives order to attack Iraq Kuwaiti Navy – Have the first shots at sea been fired? The [...]

Royal Navy – A look at the Royal Navy’s assets in the Gulf. BBC: UK Forces Breakdown Royal Navy – Aboard RFA Argus, which is serving as a hospital ship for the British. The Times: Ship of mercy in Gulf is ready to receive wounded US Navy – This will be the F-14′s last war. [...]

US Marines – An unusual combination – corpsman and sniper. Washington Post: If Marine ‘Doc’ Must Pick Up a Gun, It Will Be a Sniper Rifle US Navy – How simulators allow aircraft missions to be precisely practiced beforehand. Washington Post: Military Brings 3-D Advantage to War Preparation US Navy – With the Tomahawk shooters [...]

US Marines and Royal Marines – The general consensus in the press is that the war will begin later this week. Here is the latest as the troops head towards their start lines. Washington Post: Marine Predicts Brief Bombing, Then Land Assault Daily Telegraph: Desert Rats and SAS to play crucial roles in invasion The [...]

US Navy – More ships pass through the Suez Canal. Reuters: More US Missile Ships Head to Red Sea Through Suez US Navy – Life for women aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. Washington Post: Navy Women Finding Ways to Adapt to a Man’s World US Navy – Food is important for morale??? Virginian Pilot: Food [...]

Guyanaese Navy – Guyana and Suriname are having a border dispute. Associated Press: Guyana sends gunboat into waters disputed with Suriname US Marines – A little R and R in Kuwait. Virginian Pilot: Marines get a taste of home at Camp Doha in Kuwait US Navy – The USS Radford will become a testbed for [...]

Royal Australian Navy – A review of Australian forces in the Gulf. BBC: Australia’s military role in Iraq US Navy – With the bomb builders aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. Washington Post: Building Bombs Aboard the Abraham Lincoln US Marines – Sandstorms are a major occupational hazard in the Gulf. The Times: Restless Marines whipped [...]

US Navy – The USS Harry S. Truman and USS Theodore Roosevelt may move from the Med to the Gulf if Turkey does not grant overflight rights. Voice of America: Pentagon May Shift Two Aircraft Carriers to Red Sea Background – Turkey – James Dunnigan’s analysis of why the Turks won’t let US troops in. [...]

US Navy – The USS Nimitz battlegroup makes a port call in Pearl Harbor. Honolulu Star-Bulletin: Nimitz battle group stops at Pearl Background – Iraq – James Dunnigan on why Saddam is the master spin-meister. StrategyPage: Saddam as Master Media Manipulator