War in the Middle East

[Marshal Murat]

Time October 23rd, 2024, 12:23 PM
Place Ba' qubah, Iraq
Thick black clouds scutted across the sky. The clouds were forecast to move farther in, bringing rain to nourish the crops in the fields. Ramaddan was about to end, the night finishing the the fasting required for the holiday.
Al-Kadir was happy. The town was empty, despite being mid-day. Odd, but not dangerously odd. It was the final transfer. The Iranians had given him hundreds of AK-47s, AK-74s, Stingers, and thousands of ammunition rounds. The Shi'a Freedom Militia had paid in American Dollars, Russian rubles, and hundreds of different currencies. The Iranians weren't that picky. Just as long as the Shi'a militias were willing to blow up some bridge, kill a couple politicians, and have his militia armed to the teeth. Everything was done. A couple Sunni diplomats were now dead, the bridge over the Tigris into Baghdad was done, and would be down for another week. Everything was completed.
Down the street, a truck rumbled into town. It was one of three, each a covered truck. A couple hundred dollars had provided the bribes for the border guards, and the trucks got into Iraq. Al-Kadir was sitting in his Chevy, a 2010 model, one of the last gasoline powered cars available. A black, four door car, it was dusty and really old, but could run on cheap, inter-state stuff. Oil.
Sitting on the roofs were snipers, militia-men, armed with their AK-47s. Stopping a block away, the Iranian drivers got out, dressed in the cloth head covers, loose fabric shirts and pants, with black bullet-proof vests.
Stepping out of his car, Al-Kadir nodded to his contacts. Pulling out a clip-pad, Kadir signed, and the Iranians pulled out their weapon crates. Popping the lids on the first crate, the gleaming black barrels and polished wooden stocks, banana clips, packed in tight, covered in woolen sheets.
After the transfer was complete, Al-Kadir nodded to his Iranian contacts, and turned around. Then, the first bullets flew.
Out of nowhere, three HUMVEES appeared at the opposite end of the street. The .50 caliber guns were rattling, spraying fire and lead along the street. Diving into a side alley, Al-Kadir spat out dust and grime. Turning around, the Iranians were dead, drapped over the crates. The trucks were pock marked by bullet holes. After the first few seconds of shock his militia replied. They opened up with their AK-47s, their RPG's, and actually hit one of the HUMVEEs. Shaking and rattling, the three HUMVEEs sped away, firing into the air.
Standing, Al-Kadir brushed himself off, and peeked around the corner. His Chevrolet was destroyed, as were the Iranian trucks. His contacts were all dead. Damned Sunni's they were responsible. Al-Kadir knew the Saudi's, the Syrians, Lebanese, they were funding these Sunni militia. Only they could have afforded HUMVEEs.
Pulling out his satellite phone, Al-Kadir called his cousin, Imam Ahmiri, the Muslim clerical leader in the mosque in Basrah. Prominent man. He could find out about the Sunni militia. Most of the Sunni money went through Kuwait or Basrah. Find a similar event, kill them, see how they like it...

In Iraq, the government still had control, a marginal amount, but they still exercised control. However, the Sunni's were growing in size. Sooner than later, Iraq would be almost fifty-fifty. Sunni-Shi'a. The Iranians couldn't stand that. Civil war was rippling on the horizon.
The Saudi's had lost a lot of their money in the oil market, the demand dropping after hybrids took off. Dubai, Bahrain, Qatar, they were Western luxury and pleasure islands. Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Syria, they all sought to bring a new market, in Africa, South America, Central Asia. The Middle East was prospering, but only slightly. Increasing economic pressure meant many were getting cramped, not earning enough for a regular way of life.
Then, it happened.
Iranians were shipping arms to Shi'a militias, and the Shi'a had almost massacred a small town outside of Baghdad. That was all it took. Before, the government had been able to control. With their power under threat, economic conditions falling, and the level of life decreasing, civil war broke. Imams called on their congegations...
"Fight the unbeliever. Those who threaten your children, your wife, you family, your clan! Fight them. Kill them all!" Moderate Imams were cast out, decried as effeminate. Civil war broke like thunder.

The role in this interactive is that of Al-Kadir, the Freedom Militia leader. His role is like that of Hamas, a small party in Iraq that controled Diyala and Wasit provinces seats. He could call up five thousand men to fight, and he had the weapondry to fight the Sunni militias.
His main base is in Ba'qubah, with a central bunker, and several others in the center of town, encircled by barbed wire blockades and militia checkpoints. A thousand men to guard the towns loyal to his cause, the true cause, even if Al-Kadir may not have believed all of it. He was religious, went to prayers, prayed when the call was broadcast, but he had a Western skepticism, stand-offish about the fight on religion.
Four thousand men to fight for the true Islamic religion, a thousand devoted to his towns and hamlets.
In his main bunker in Ba'qubah, Al-Kadir met with his advisors. The first was Ali-Bahadur, an Iranian colonel/advisor for his militia brigade. He looked like the 2005 Iranian prime minister, the political fighter for the Shi'a religion.
The second was Al-Kadir's cousin, Al-Hadr, a Shi'a captain of a small Shi'a militia in southern Iraq. He was starved for weapondry, and eagerly brought a hundred of his best marksmen to fight with Dragunov sniper rifles.
The last was Al-Jujar, the provinical governor, a loyal follower of the cause, if more politically minded than his two fellows.
Bahadur begins the meeting, with his announcement.
"The Iranian Liberation Army is being prepared as we speak. They will bring a brigade of armor, recon, and a division of assault troops to liberate the Shi'a Iraq. However, we need recon and scouting for the territory ahead of our army. We would need to have several routes prepared, cleared of mines, and airfields secured. Can you perform that, and if you do, then we can clear Iraq of the Sunni oppresors."
"No, we have soldiers, I say we strike fear into the hearts of the Sunni cities across the Tigris. We can use boats, bridges, and kill them all. Let the Sunni nation know what we mean to do if they don't give the government over to us! Mortar Baghdad, snipe officials, create fear and disorder, shake the government and their Sunni bribe masters, scare them to death."
Al-Jujar shook his head, pointing to the map.
"The Kurds are ready to leave Iraq, for their own nation. I can call a couple contacts in the north, and we can have a division of soldiers down here in half the time that the Iranians can produce them. They will fight to be free, even if it means killing Sunni men and women. We can guarantee their freedom from the Iraqis, and they can fight for us."

One decision please. It takes the fun out if you mix them up.
Let the judging begin.

[Warluster]

The lst one, about extra troops!

[Peasant Phill]

hmm I'm very sceptical about bringing in outside troops but I see no other option. If start the war ourselves, the sunnis will be all over us. They have better equipment and have a bigger support.

So who do we ask for help?
1) The Kurds will be here fast but are badly equiped and possibly badly trained. Besides they are fighting for themselfes and not for our cause so they may defect if they see no benefit anymore to fight with us.

2) The Iranians will be highly equiped and trained. To add to this, they are dedicated (more or less) to our cause. The downside is that we have to secure an area ourselves before they can invade which will prove dificult.

Our overal goal is best helped by bringing in the Iranians so I believe we should chose this option but only if it is realistic. => Marshal, could you provide us with more details about the size of the area we should control, the number of minefields, tactical points we have to control and the time needed for the Iranians to prepare? Without it we can't make a good decision.

[Marshal Murat]

I'll see what I can do about more tactical information. Refer to this for soldier information.
Diyala Governate
Originally a Sunni province, most were displaced by Iranian supported Shi'a, and the province has remained as such since. A couple thousand Kurds live in the north, while a large majority of Shi'a Iraqis live in the middle and south. The capital of the governate is Ba-qubah, with major cities such as Muqdadiyah, Khanaquin (Kurd majority), and Al Khalis. The Sunni's have often claimed this area and the cities within to be sacred to the Sunni religion, and have sought through diplomatic means to reclaim this territory.
Wasit
Governate below Diyala,the capital is Al Kut, with the other major city of Al Hayy. 4,000 men come from each city to provide you with your Freedom Militia.

The two provinces have a combined population of about 1,302,000 people, with 20,000 men dedicated to the cause. Small minorities occupy the other areas, with about 9,000 Kurds in the north. Al-Kadir needs 5,000 men to defend the cities against minor Sunni attacks.

Your armaments consist of AK-47s, AK-74s, Sagger AT missiles, Dragunov SVD rifles, RPGs, grenades, and 1 BTR-50 Amphibious APCs.

Sunni Arms
AK-47s, M-16s, M-240s, SAWs, AK-74s, and numerous other small arms. grenades. No data on vehicles or aircraft.

After the discussion, the Iranian colonel provides a timetable. One week to secure forward posts, and then the armored battalion and infantry can move in and secure Tigris River Line (The border of your two provinces, and a general dividing line between the two religions)
The Kurds can bring in two divisions worth of men, no armor and an APC battalion, with mortars and ten 75mm cannons. They require four days to assemble the troops, and then they can strike out against Tikrit, Samarra, and secure Diyala.

[Marshal Murat]

After discussing the situation, Al-Kadir knew he needed the Iranian support. They had T-72s, T-90s, and weapondry to support the Shi'a soldiers. You order 5,000 men to scout out the Sunni towns and airfields. Colonel Barahdur notes that the assault troop division, armored divisions, and other troops will require a week to meet with the Freedom Militia in Ba'qubah. The remaining 10,000 men prepare to meet the Sunni's for the first time.

Outside of Ba'qubah, there is a small Sunni village. Alarmed by the Shi'a activity, they quickly reported to the Sunni Rights Movement, an umbrella group for several Sunni militia and jihadist brigades. Alarmed by your workings, they ask for Saudi and Jordanian aid. Four days later, mortar rounds begin falling in eastern Ba'qubah. The Sunni militia appear under the mortar fire, but are kept out of the city by sniper fire, mines, barbed wire, and light arms fire.
The mortar rounds contiuned through the night, and in the morning, four trucks drove forward, plated with steel and aluminum sheets. Improvised armor, but effective improvisation. Kneeling in a trench outside of Ba'qubah, Al'Kadir hefted his RPG. Taking careful aim, he fired straight into the truck armor. With a crash, the rocket explodes, leaving a dent in the armor. Turning to his militia, Al-Kadir smiled and nodded to his radio man. Speaking quietly, he alerts the hidden foxholed RPG soldiers and a couple guards.
Minutes later, rocket trails streaked across the desert and scrub, smashing into the armored trucks. Sunni militia soldiers appear, moving out, trying to catch the RPG soldiers, but are cut down by the sniper and arms fire. By the afternoon, the Sunni militia try to move on the flanks.
During the night, mortar rounds contiune to fall, and Al-Jazeera has hailed the stand as the "Siege of Ba-qubah". Al-Kadir knew what propoganda meant, and the next day, a week after Colonel Barahdur promised his Iranian armor, they appeared. Rumbling across the desert, they sliced through the Sunni lines. At days end, the Iranian armored forces were on the outskirts of Baghdad, and have secured the Tigris River line from north Diyala to Basrah.
Meeting with Colonel Barahdur. Al-Kadir had his troops are equipped with ammunition, armored trucks, and the congradulations for providing a reason to invade.
Meeting with his advisors in the Liberation Iranian Army tent, Al-Kadir talked to Colonel Barahdur, Al-Hadr, and Al-Jujar.
Colonel Barahdur speaks first, pointing out the dilema of the Iranian army.
"We've established a line from Independent Kurdistan to Basra, but the Tigris is limiting us. We can either move through Kurdistan, east and then south to Tikrit and Samarra, or we can thrust into Kuwait, and cut off Saudi aid to the Sunnis."
"Move through Basrah!" Al-Hadr cries, hoping to return to his home.
"No, move through Kurdistan. They want to throw off the Sunni yoke as much as we do. The Sunnis won't expect it!" Al-Jujar threw in his comment.

1. Move through Kurdistan and hit Tikrit, Samarra, and threaten northern Baghdad. If Syria joins, then the main artery off supplies to the Sunnis will be cut.
2.Move south, through Basrah, and take Kuwait City. Iranian tanks, Shi'a militia from across the country side. The Saudi supplies move through Kuwait City, and the Sunnis don't need any more help.
3.Move into Baghdad, and try to convince the Prime Minister, Al-Hagadar, to split up Iraq. He was a Shi'a militia man in the early 2000 years, and will understand the Sunni threat.

You have 10,000 men to work with, the other 10,000 to be placed in Diyala and Wasit. The Iranian division holds the Tigris Line, and the armored division can be detached to either flank. All it needs is infantry support to secure its gains.

[Warluster]

number 3 please

[IrishArmenian]

Number 2

[Julian the apostate]

i'm guessing were not allowed to change options and such, but move your sniper core, all of your other rifles and the armored brigade north through the kurds and then move south avoiding all cities. Don't worry aobut kurdish help they are likely to betray you but if you mvoe fast and hard you can wreak havoc behind their lines and open up a weak point for a break through

[Peasant Phill]

we don't want to open up another front against us, so we shouldn't provoke the Kurds.
Option 3 seems very tempting but where is our ambition. Besides, the Sunnis will want to take revenge for the battles lost.

So I'll go for option 2. We might get some more support which will come in handy.

[Marshal Murat]

I'm going to go with 2 (majority rules)

"The Saudis have funded these Sunni warriors long enough. We will lead the assault against them in Kuwait."
Fill with battle-Guys, I've got a lot to do, but there will be a battle! Stay tuned.

[Marshal Murat]

Early dawn broke, covering the desert with amber light. A week of preparation had sent the armored Iranian forces to Basrah, and accumulated forces amounted to 20,000 soldier and an armored brigade.
The Shi'a were waiting. Throwing themselves against the Kuwatis was insane if they weren't ready. Now they were ready.
Rumbling and buzzing, the Iranian T-72s, T-99s, and Zukus began their drive to Kuwait City. Hind helicopters circled like buzzards, and aircraft patroled the skies.
Sitting with General Rahamad in the APC, the trucks that surrounded him were full of militia. They were to be used to secure the oil depots and the cities of Kuwait. The United States had left several bunkers and forts around Kuwait, and Al-Kadir was charged with taking Fort Dunbar.

A rectangular fort outside of Kuwait City, the mines had been stripped away, all that remained (according to Google Earth) was a wall of cement.
Breaking away from the armored columns, Al-Kadir watched as the first truck drive to the gate, then explode in flames. Mortar rounds fell around the second and third trucks.
"Back, back!" Al Kadir yelled, and the trucks back away and out of range. Scouts moved in, and were sniped at. You consult the Iranian general and your director.
"We can bring in a T-99, but that may make the situation more complicated. They could have rockets, and that would destroy a tank. Tanks are rare things, and if the Saudi's strike back, every tank will be needed."
"We have some stinger rockets. We can fire them, break the cement wall apart, and move in quickly."
Which one.