S Hinote

More Than Bombing Saddam: Attacking the Leadership in Operation Iraqi Freedom S Hinote

In Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), the US-led coalition employed a comprehensive strategy of leadership attack as part of its overall plan. The purpose of this study is to analyze these leadership-attack efforts and determine their effects within the overall strategy. In this work, leadership attack refers to efforts designed to degrade the will and/or ability of enemy leaders to lead. It also includes actions taken to weaken the relationship between leaders and followers. Coalition officials needed an appreciation of the context of leadership attack within OIF, including its history, theory, and the moral and legal framework surrounding it. In keeping with the political rhetoric of their leaders, coalition planners designed a multifaceted leadership-attack strategy that would enable the overall effort. Throughout the operation, the coalition attacked the Iraqi regime in multiple ways, from highly-publicized decapitation strikes to covert attempts to dissuade Saddam's subordinate leaders to turn against him. These efforts fall into four categories. First, the coalition attacked key regime leaders directly. Second, coalition forces attacked Iraqi command centers and communications infrastructure. Third, the coalition undermined Saddam with inducements aimed at subordinate leaders. It also communicated messages designed to drive a psychological wedge between Saddam and Iraqi soldiers on the battlefield.