[War] United Kingdom: "Fight Fire with Fire"

[Michael Downey]

"Fight Fire with Fire"
Prime Minister Owen Eckley
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
4 September 2006
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Two British Army soldiers killed in Basra by a roadside bomb in Basra.
Eckley threw the paper down in disgust. Two more names to the list of
British soldiers killed in that God awful country. A hundred and
seventeen and counting. That was paltry to the US military's death
toll, which was nearing almost three thousand.

If there had been one true blunder of the Blair administration it was
to involve itself in a war that was, so painfully obvious now, purely
for oil. And he rather suspected President Williams and the rest of
the United States had come to realize that as well.

But they were committed now. To simply leave Iraq would result in the
country almost assuredly collapsing into absolute chaos. A new
breeding ground for terrorism and Islamic militancy that would spread
across the Middle East like a plague of locusts. In their arrogance
and greed, the 'Coalition of the Willing' had gotten themselves into a
war they could very likely lose.

"The ironic part is that we are not doing enough," said Eckley to
Defence Minister Edwin Gallagher. "I'm not a military man, but I can
see plainly what we are doing wrong. We can pour as many troops, tanks
and bombs into that country as we can, and it won't make a damn
difference. Unless Iraq is able to fight the insurgents and maintain
stability on its own, then this war is lost, period."

"I understand your position sir, but the Iraqi Army is nowhere near
ready to make any major moves to assuming a major security role in the
country," replied Gallagher. "They lack training, equipment, and are
riddled with infiltrators."

"Maybe if we actually through some real support behind them, things
would be different," scoffed Eckley. "I like President Williams and I
respect him, but from our meeting in Washington it was clear to me he
intends to ignore any notion of the Iraqi Army taking a role in
fighting the insurgency and thinks he can win the war purely with the
strength of his own forces. He can't."

Eckley got up from behind his desk and turned to look out the window
behind him. "I've decided that Britain will take a major shift in
regards to our participation in Iraq. If Washington can't be bothered
to make the Iraqi Army a credible force, we will. Britain will begin
shifting more of its resources from fighting the insurgents directly
towards the goal of outfitting and training the IA."

Gallagher knew at that moment the SecDef would be calling him with
several unpleasant things to say. The Pentagon could very will see
this move as Britain trying to back away from Iraq altogether.

"We can't just turn the entire IA into an effective fighting force
overnight. We'll have to start small." The PM turned back to
Gallagher. "Rather than try and overhaul the IA all at once, we'll
start by putting together regimental sized untis. These individual
regiments will have the training, manpower, equipment and logistics
needed to fight like proper soldiers. It will be like planting seeds.
Once the first of the new combat regiments are ready, they will begin
to train other regiments, and the coalition will provide the material
backing. And as the Coalition forces secure regions of the country,
the new IA regiments will move in and keep insurgents from moving back
into the area, maintaining order and security."

Logical enough in theory. Gallagher had his doubts about just how well
it would work in practice. "How are we going to begin?"

"Two regiments," said Eckley. "Based on our own Army model. Primarily
infantry with mechanized elements. British Army Intelligence will pick
out candidates from the IA that it feels are competent and committed
to the safety of Iraq. We'll train them, arm them, and instruct them
on how to spread what they've learned to other soldiers."

"Will we be asking the Americans to participate?"

Eckley nodded. "Yes. We'll need large and secure bases in Iraq to
train the IA regiments, which our American cousins have in abundance.
We'll be donating much of the small arms, IFVs and APCs, and I see no
logical reason the US Army cannot offer some of its own material aid.
I bet the IA would love a few of those new GPV Colonel APCs instead of
beat up Soviet flatbeds and shiny new M16s instead of thirty-year old
Kalashnikovs."

That too would be something Gallagher would have to wrangle with the
Pentagon over. The Yanks probably wouldn't want to 'waste' guns and
trucks on what they considered and inferior and pointless fighting
force.

"A more capable Iraqi Army will be a powerful tool in beating the
insurgency." The PM sighed. "But shifting so much of our resources
away from fighting the insurgents directly is bound to have a
short-term negative effect. And while I want to have fewer of our men
in Iraq, no more, for the moment in may be necessary to become a bit
more aggressive. What was it that the MOD was saying about the SAS
taking a bigger role in our Iraqi operations?"

"We have been considering moving the entire 21st SAS regiment into
Iraq. They are the most trained and capable in counter-revolutionary
warfare. And while in Iraq, we can rotate them from hitting the
insurgents to helping train our new pet IA regiments."

"Parliament will likely come after me with torches if I put an entire
regiment into Iraq. You can send two of the 21st's four squadrons. No
more."

Gallagher nodded. He had a lot of work ahead of him, little of it
pleasant. It was clear that the PM was not happy to sit idle and let
the situation in Iraq deteriorate. However more action meant more
risks, and likely more British deaths. But as the SAS themselves said,
who dares wins.
---

Actions:
1) Britain Will focus more of its manpower and resources in Iraq
towards building up the Iraqi Army
2) Create two new IA units, modeled after British Army regiments. Hand
pick the most competent and committed Iraqi soldiers to be part of the
new regiments.
3) Train and equip the regiments to be fully capable, modern combat
units. Try and persuade the Pentagon to support the project with
material resources such as arms and vehicles.
4) Deploy two squadrons for the SAS 21st Regiment to Iraq with orders
to begin a counter-revolutionary campaign against the insurgents.