
Contents
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Initial Planning and Reactions to Regime Collapse Initial Planning and Reactions to Regime Collapse
-
Consequences of Early Coalition Decisions Consequences of Early Coalition Decisions
-
Casey in Command and the Transition Strategy Casey in Command and the Transition Strategy
-
The Surge The Surge
-
The 2010 Parliamentary Election The 2010 Parliamentary Election
-
The Withdrawal and Aftermath The Withdrawal and Aftermath
-
External Actors External Actors
-
Conclusions Conclusions
-
Notes Notes
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
5 The Tortured Path to Strategic Failure: US Landpower in Iraq, 2003–2011
Get access-
Published:May 2019
Cite
Abstract
This chapter discusses the decisions which led to the strategic failure of the US intervention in Iraq, arguing that such failure was the byproduct of a series of bad decisions rather than predetermined. Specifically, the most consequential sets of decisions which contributed to the mission's ultimate failure were the decision to begin the conflict with an inadequate postwar plan, the irrational decisions made in the aftermath of the collapse of the Iraq state, the decision to pursue the transition strategy for two years, the decision to not intervene against electoral abuses in 2010, and the decision to withdraw without a residual force. The United States' inability to craft a strategy that deterred or responded to external malignant actors compounded the effects of those poor decisions. In spite of all the strategic, operational, and tactical mistakes it made, the US nearly was able to achieve a semblance of success as a result of a new strategy nicknamed "the Surge." That temporary success, however, ultimately collapsed under the weight of previous errors that had run out political support for the mission and because of a series of further errors.
Sign in
Personal account
- Sign in with email/username & password
- Get email alerts
- Save searches
- Purchase content
- Activate your purchase/trial code
- Add your ORCID iD
Purchase
Our books are available by subscription or purchase to libraries and institutions.
Purchasing informationMonth: | Total Views: |
---|---|
August 2024 | 1 |
Get help with access
Institutional access
Access to content on Oxford Academic is often provided through institutional subscriptions and purchases. If you are a member of an institution with an active account, you may be able to access content in one of the following ways:
IP based access
Typically, access is provided across an institutional network to a range of IP addresses. This authentication occurs automatically, and it is not possible to sign out of an IP authenticated account.
Sign in through your institution
Choose this option to get remote access when outside your institution. Shibboleth/Open Athens technology is used to provide single sign-on between your institution’s website and Oxford Academic.
If your institution is not listed or you cannot sign in to your institution’s website, please contact your librarian or administrator.
Sign in with a library card
Enter your library card number to sign in. If you cannot sign in, please contact your librarian.
Society Members
Society member access to a journal is achieved in one of the following ways:
Sign in through society site
Many societies offer single sign-on between the society website and Oxford Academic. If you see ‘Sign in through society site’ in the sign in pane within a journal:
If you do not have a society account or have forgotten your username or password, please contact your society.
Sign in using a personal account
Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members. See below.
Personal account
A personal account can be used to get email alerts, save searches, purchase content, and activate subscriptions.
Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members.
Viewing your signed in accounts
Click the account icon in the top right to:
Signed in but can't access content
Oxford Academic is home to a wide variety of products. The institutional subscription may not cover the content that you are trying to access. If you believe you should have access to that content, please contact your librarian.
Institutional account management
For librarians and administrators, your personal account also provides access to institutional account management. Here you will find options to view and activate subscriptions, manage institutional settings and access options, access usage statistics, and more.