Against the Coalition, the Iraqi forces were echeloned according—approximately—to Soviet doctrine. Not once from the very beginning of the air war had they apparently even tried to carry out combined arms operations.[15] The Soviets invented the combined arms concept; the United States, with the AirLand Battle concept, was given the opportunity to perfect it. Once their air force left for Iran, the Iraqis had effectively defaulted any possibility of victory. Schwarzkopf was free to conduct a textbook operation.
With no real understanding of the combined arms concept—it had never been used in a large-scale operation—the Iraqis were planning to refight World War I. Allied defeat would be brought about by sending home the thousands of body bags the antiwar movement was waiting for so breathlessly. “The number of Americans killed will exceed tens of thousands,” Radio Baghdad promised, “if a ground battle occurs with Iraqi forces... which are trained in defensive combat to an extent no other force in the world has reached.”
Yet again, Saddam Hussein had coldly miscalculated.
Shortly after noon on the 23rd of February there was a statement from President Bush: “We regret that Saddam Hussein took no action before the noon deadline to comply with the UN resolutions. We remain determined to fulfill the UN resolutions. Military action continues on schedule and according to plan.” The “peace drums” of the anti-war protesters were audible in the background as Fran Cesno read the statement on CNN, standing out in front of the White House. Wolf Blitzer told us that Gen. Schwarzkopf had leave to begin ground operations at his discretion.
[15]With the single exception of Kafji, they had not even attempted to maneuver.