Special forces

Special forces in Iraq

Several experts consider the specific Special Forces employment during operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) as revolutionary. For the first time, special units substituted for conventional forces, fought an armoured and mechanized enemy and what's more, won the battle.

A few months prior to launching the ground forces against Iraq, the coalition thought two combined special units could conduct a series of operations in northern and western Iraq ; and that these units would have enough strength to carry out large scale operations, in support of the conventional forces which would attack from Kuwait.

That is why C/JSOTF-West special units infiltrated into Iraq from Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Their mission was to seize airfields in the desert, and to hold and block the communication roads from the Jordanian and Syrian borders so as to prevent Baath party leaders from fleeing. The other major mission for the American ; Australian and British special units was the tracking down of the Iraqi ballistic missiles, to avoid them being set on Israel and Jordan. Iraqi Freedom planners estimates were that Special Forces deployment in northern and western Iraq would allow to isolate Baghdad.

These decisions proved to be correct and victory has been achieved. On the other hand, the post-war has been « another story ».

However, for the first time, American Special Forces played a significant role in the ground operations in Iraq. This was the result of all the efforts devoted to the integration of SF teams into the conventional forces in the field, and to the willingness of the Special Operations Command to cooperate and to jointly work with the other Iraq-based Commands as well as with Central Command based in Tampa, Florida.

For the first time at such a level, conventional forces provided support to special units, allowing the latter to carry out combat operations, in-depth reconnaissance and special missions. In return, SF provided combat units with intelligence they had never had before.

Heliborne or airlifted Special Forces traditionally work in the depth of the battle field to carry out short term operations. However, during OIF, Special Forces teams were integrated in the various combat brigades, even during the final combats in Baghdad.

Relationships were « positives » as all reports say, in spite of the very different cultures SF and conventional forces have and which was the source of certain issues. Iraqi Freedom Special Forces HQ quickly understood the best way to infiltrate into Iraq was with the help of the mechanized units. Even if some within the conventional forces have said special units received more than they gave in return, one has to acknowledge SF detachments ahead of the front line units provided a better understanding of the situation, thanks to the enemy and local population localisation.

For the first time also, SF liaison Officers were integrated in the various HQ, and were part of the design of operations in which SF were involved, something which had not been possible so far. Thus, during the first days of OIF, SF provided first hand intelligence that conventional units would not have known otherwise.