“For all the criticism of Iraq as a quagmire, it produced an entire generation of NCOs, officers, and pilots accustomed to fighting urban enemies that blend into the population.”
Iraqi forces, backed by the U.S., continue their push into Mosul. This city has been the focus of key battles for the last 100 years. The last century in Mosul has had several phases: the fight in World War I between the British and the Ottomans, World War II between revolutionary forces and the British, the American battles for the city in 2004, and the Iraqi army battles against ISIS in 2016 and 2017.
The continuing battles for this location reveal it’s significance and places the current Mosul campaign into perspective. Mosul often houses key aircraft and personnel – it’s dense urban terrain makes it hard to seize. In addition, it is located near strategic oil fields and has substantial ethnic tension. Instead of a new and difficult version of a 21st century battle field against asymmetric threats, the U.S. backed forces are fighting a conflict with echoes from the past.
1916-1917:
During World War I, the Ottoman Empire joined the central powers of Germany and Austria. By 1916, the handful of British regulars wanted to break out north towards Mosul and put pressure on the bulk of Turkish forces. General Frederick Maude advanced cautiously to the point that troops called him “Systematic Joe”.
In early 1918, Maude finally outflanked Ottoman positions to the North and West of Baghdad. In the aftermath of this British campaign, many of the local tribes shifted their support to the British. The British halted their advance and never marched on Mosul during the war. But the country’s rich oil fields were captured by the British after the armistice and became a point of contention during peace negotiations.
1941:
The British received control of Iraq after World War I and reached a treaty with the ruling royal family. In exchange for Iraqi independence, the British established exclusive bases and freedom to maneuver across the territory. By 1941, a pro-fascist coup took control of the government and resulted in a month long war between the fascist backed Iraqis and the assembled British forces in the region.
The British commander, Air Vice Marshall Smart, thought a preemptive defense would help his forces in the region. They attacked the Iraqi Air Force and Mosul stationed German planes. Eventually, a flying column of horse soldiers (the last all horse operation), sent from British Palestine, reached the outnumbered British forces. The Iraqi army withdrew and the British restored the ousted ruling family.
2004:
Initially held under the command of General David Petraeus, soldiers pulled out of the city in 2004 to help with one of the many battles for Fallujah. This pullout coincided with a shifting of terrorist and insurgent forces into Mosul. By November of 2004, insurgents had controlled much of the city and publicly executed many members of the Iraqi security forces. Much like the rest of Iraq, American forces would play whack a mole with insurgent forces until the decisive surge in 2007 and 2008 decimated the resistance.
By 2011 Vice President Biden called it one of the biggest successes of the administration. A short time after precipitously withdrawing all forces from the country, ISIS stormed through much of Anbar province. The Iraqi government had replaced effective leaders with political appointments, and they had alienated many former leaders from the ‘Awakening’.
Iraqi forces fled at first, but many fought back. Much like earlier conflicts, ISIS forces used armored bulldozers as improvised explosives to blow holes in defensive positions. These were made even more effective by captured Humvees. Iraqi forces were criticized by the U.S. for a lack of resolve, but the U.S. was also criticized for a lack of action.
2016-2017:
Almost exactly 100 years after General Maude led British soldiers towards Mosul, the Iraqi government did the same. As reported by OpsLens analysts, the fighting has been fierce. There are now reports that the US is facing the dilemma of “asymmetric warfare.” ISIS fighters fire from the rooftops of homes where civilians are sheltered. The dense neighborhoods in the older Western side of the cities mean more close fighting.
ISIS forces control numerous tunnels between their defensive positions, which allows them to infiltrate the lines of advancing Iraqi forces. Government forces have to advance against lines of improvised explosive devices and suicide attacks, as well as massing civilians before baiting an airstrike (ISIS is fully aware that the use of human shields is a war crime, but the videos of the dead and bloody wounded make for good propaganda).
These are all difficult challenges. But instead of viewing this as a new problem, the timeline of the battle for Mosul includes a long history of urban conflict, outnumbered forces, and hard slogs throughout the cities. In particular, U.S. advisors have ample experience and institutional memory of fighting in Iraqi cities.
For all the criticism of Iraq as a quagmire, it produced an entire generation of NCOs, officers, and pilots accustomed to fighting urban enemies that blend into the population. The American public, and the rest of the world, can remain confident that the Iraqi government will prevail.
