This episode will only cover the period between March 2003 and May 1 2003.

Reasons for Invading Iraq:

• Iraq's possession of WMDs
  
• Saddam's link to Al Qaeda
• Iraq's failure to respect no-fly zones
• Tyrannical part of the Axis of Evil

The United States Congress supported military action against Iraq, but the UN did not approve of it. The US launched Operation Cobra II with the coalition of the willing (consisting of 49 countries) and many military contractors.  The main invasion was in the South, where there were three fronts:

• Western Front: US's 3rd Infantry Division goes through Najaf and Karbala towards Baghdad
• Central Front: US's 1st Marine Expeditionary Force goes through Nasiriyah towards Baghdad
• Eastern Front: UK's 1st Armored Division goes through Basra towards Baghdad

A secondary invasion in the North was led by the 10th Special Forces Group and the Kurdish Peshmerga.  This force pushed through Mosul and Kirkuk towards Baghdad.

The actual invasion of Baghdad took place early in April, when Colonel Perkins invented the concept of Thunder Runs--rapid mechanized thrusts into the city to inspire shock and awe.  Two thunder runs were sent into Baghdad and eventually the city (minus Saddam Hussein) was taken.

On May 1st, 2003, President Bush declared Mission Accomplished (excerpt in episode).

Sources:
http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/world/daily/graphics/iraqMap_040103_2.gif
http://www.military.com/NewContent/0,13190,011805_Thunder_Run,00.html
Foreign Affairs (May/June 2006): Saddam’s Delusions
http://geocities.com/saberoca/
http://icasualties.org/oif/
http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/iraq/casualties.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uh4U-Tbqbx4
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/invasion/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soohikNdbWs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdlEcFfYZ2k
http://www.mongabay.com/igapo/Iraq.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFijzDyJnVE

Military History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine

 

The French Foreign Legion was founded in 1831 as France's non-citizen military. Over the years, it consisted of many refugees, colonial citizens, and people trying to start a new life. The training is hard and only one in seven applicants makes it. After they complete their tour of duty, a Legionnaire may receive a 10-year residential permit and French citizenship.

The Legion's most famous military action was in the Battle of Camaron in the Maximilian Affair in Mexico in 1863. 62 Legionnaires were defending a convoy when they were attacked by 2,000 Mexican troops. The Legion fended off wave after wave until they eventually ran out of ammo. At this point, they charged with their bayonets. Their heroic actions saved the convoy. Since then, the French Foreign Legion has served with honor and distinction in many major world conflicts including the Franco-Prussian War, WWI, WWII, Vietnam War, and Desert Storm.

For more information, read:
http://french-foreign-legion.com/
http://www.channel4.com/life/microsites/E/escape_to_the_legion/legion.html
Galenet: French Foreign Legion
Military History Magazine (September 2005): Intrigue

Military History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine

The Pacific Northwest has many military facilities.  Washington State, specifically, has:

• Naval Base Kitsap: Holds nuclear submarines, a carrier battle group, and a navy region command center
• Naval Station Everett: Holds a carrier battle group
• McChord Air Force Base: Holds a Western Air Defense Sector command center
• Fairchild Air Force Base: Holds nuclear transport aircraft
• Fort Lewis: Holds the I Corps command center and stryker brigades
• Hanford Site: Held plutonium production facilities and is now the site of the largest cleanup project in the country

For more information, visit:
www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility
https://www.nbk.navy.mil/index.asp
http://www.lewis.army.mil/
http://public.mcchord.amc.af.mil/
http://public.fairchild.amc.af.mil/
http://www.hanford.gov/

Military History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine

The Iranian Revolution of 1979 was fought between Shah Pahlevi (supported by America and hated for his pro-American beliefs) and Ayatollah Khomeini (and anti-American Islamist).  Khomeini succeeded in taking power from the Shah and created the Islamic Republic of Iran.  During the turbulent years that followed, 300 militants seized 63 hostages from the American embassy in Iran and held them for 444 days.

Months of negotiations ensued and eventually, 11 of the hostages were released prematurely.  The others were almost rescued by President Carter in Operation Eagle Claw, but due to a sandstorm, the operation was a disastrous failure.  It was such a great failure that the US reformed its military and created a new unified combatant command, SOCOM, and a new special forces regiment, the 160th SOAR. 

The Iranians remained steadfast in their imprisonment of the hostages until September 1980, when Iraq invaded Iran and launched the Iran-Iraq War.  As a result, Iran wanted a quick resolution to the hostage issue and thus, the Algiers Accords were signed by the United States and Iran.  The hostages were returned on Reagan's inauguration day.  However, tensions between these two countries still exist today (see Iranian capture of 15 British sailors). 

For more information, read:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3978523.stm
The American Presidents by David Whitney
http://www.historyguy.com/iran-us_hostage_crisis.html

Military History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine