Thomas Wictor

The US military uses the “Continuum of Military Operations” to describe American war-fighting. It has six phases, at least two of which involve kinetic or combat operations.

Phase 0: Shape the Environment. This phase involves those joint interagency and multinational activities conducted on an ongoing, routine basis to assure or solidify friendly relationships and alliances and/or deter potential adversaries.

Phase 1: Deter the Enemy. This phase focuses on deterring specific opponents by demonstrating the capability and resolve to apply force in pursuit of U.S. interests. These actions will likely build upon Phase 0 activities and may include a show of force or initiatives that would facilitate deployment, employment, and sustainment of additional forces within the region.

Phase 2: Seize the Initiative. Hostilities commence during this phase. Combat power is applied to delay, impede, halt, or dislodge the adversary as well as to gain access to theater infrastructure and enhance friendly freedom of action. Concurrently, assistance is provided to relieve conditions that precipitated the crisis in order to promote stability.

Phase 3: Dominate the Enemy. The focus during this phase is on the exploitation, pursuit, and destruction of the enemy in order to break the opponent’s will for organized resistance. Stability operations will also be conducted as needed to facilitate transition to the next phase.

Phase 4: Stabilize the Environment. The priority during this phase will be on stability operations, the reconstitution of infrastructure, and the restoration of services. This phase concludes with the transfer of regional authority to a legitimate civil entity.

Phase 5: Enable Civil Authority. Legitimate civil authorities are enabled in their efforts to provide essential services to the populace. These activities include required coordination activities by U.S. military forces with multinational, interagency, and non-governmental organizations while promoting a favorable attitude among the populace toward U.S. and host nation objectives.

The Arab League Continuum of Military Operations eliminates Phases 1 and 2 and combines Phases 4 and 5.

Kinetic operations

In Syria and Iraq, Arab League strategic special forces are liberating major cities. Assault troops are comprised of professional soldiers armed with the most modern heavy weaponry, including tanks, self-propelled artillery, and aircraft. These men are almost never filmed in action. Right behind the assault troops are the local armed forces, who must by geopolitical necessity claim credit for the operation.

This is the only known combat footage of United Arab Emirates main battle tanks.

The infantry and the men in the mine resistant ambush protected vehicles (MRAPs) are Yemeni. They were extensively trained by the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

Syria and Iraq are different. The Saudis have trained and equipped some Iraqis, such as these men of the Peace Brigades.

However, the Yemen war resulted from President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi requesting help against the Iranian-backed Houthi and loyalists to former dictator Ali Abdullah Saleh, who ceded power on February 27, 2012.

It would be counterproductive for the Saudis and their allies to fight openly in Syria and Iraq. Doing so would guarantee the same outcome as the American invasion of Iraq. The gesture below was a huge mistake.

Although I supported the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, I now realize that we did everything wrong. Unless a government openly requests assistance, the best way to fight is in secret.

Kinetic advisers

Arab League and allied strategic special forces are so well trained that only one man is required per detachment of local troops. Here’s how it works.

The professionals carry out the truly kinetic operations: air strikes, insertion by helicopter, infiltration, house-to-house fighting, tunnel warfare, artillery barrages, armored assaults, and so on. The local troops are used to capture fleeing terrorists and to hold territory that was taken from the enemy.

Watch the video of the Syrian Democratic Forces (QSD) below and see if you can find something unusual.

Behold a tall, extremely thin black man who is obviously neither Arab nor Kurd.

He’s a special-forces adviser, but not in the way you probably think.

Kinetic…from where?

Syria is full of these tall, incredibly thin black men. They’re always the only such man in the group. You never see more than one.

I thought that they were Eritrean, but now I believe that they’re from the Mauritanian 1st Parachute Commando Battalion.

This is a special force in charge of several missions that can be summarized in the quick and timely, where it is necessary or requested. It constitutes an intervention element in support of units engaged in the field, and it can go behind enemy lines.

These commandos have been trained by the US Marines, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, France, and Britain. They’re exceptional soldiers.

There are many black Mauritanians who are very thin and have extremely long legs.

A skilled special-forces soldier can operate as a “singleton,” meaning he can be trusted to carry out his mission alone. The Mauritanians are there to advise the Syrian QSD how to accomplish specific missions in the heat of battle.

Kinetic listening

As the professional assault troops attack, the Mauritanian operator attached to each QSD unit listens to the progress of the battle on the radio. He also has other communications means. In order to maximize the effectiveness of the QSD, the Mauritanian makes suggestions to the Syrian commander.

“I think it would be best if we have one tank here and three gun trucks there, and if we build an earth berm here and station thirty men behind it, the enemy won’t be able to break through.”

The Syrian commander is the one who gives the orders to his or her troops. American Special Forces in Iraq and Syria are kept far from the front lines, but you can see from photos and video that Mauritanian commandos are with the Syrians right in the middle of the fighting. Strategic special operators improvise, according to the battlefield conditions. All it takes is one highly trained adviser to make each Syrian unit an effective part of the whole.

We in the west refused to commit the resources necessary to defeat the Islamic State. The Arab League is not only sacrificing its blood and treasure in this war, it’s fighting in the most intelligent and HUMANE way I’ve ever seen.

Kinetic water craft

I’ll show you an amazing screen grab in a moment, but first, watch a video of the Syrian QSD crossing the Euphrates River.

These are inflatable combat rubber raiding craft (CRRC).

They’re special-forces assault craft.

It takes great skill to steer them. More proof that the Syrian QSD is being helped by professionals.

Kinetic I-know-what

We can all agree that Arabs, Russians, Iranians, Iraqis, Afghans, and Thais aren’t black, tall, very thin, and long legged, right? None of Bashar al-Assad’s allies fit that description.

This is a screen grab from a very annoying video that shows the Syrian Arab Army in action.

The red arrow marks a Mauritanian special operator doing exactly what I told you he’d do: monitor communications from Arab League assault troops and advise the Syrian unit what to do. Is this Mauritanian a traitor?

No.

Don’t believe the news coming out of Syria. The right people will win, but they’re using unbelievably bold deception, distraction, and theater.

It’s magnificent. Place your trust in the best soldiers on earth. They won’t let you down.