Securing Mosul When the United States Army entered Mosul, they did not anticipate the unique challenge of securing the city. The U.S. had a plan, to secure Mosul with 4th ID through Turkey, but when that plan failed, they had to go to their next option. The next option for the U.S. Army Commander was to move the 101st Airborne Division north to Mosul in order to secure it (Lundberg & Zimmerman n.d.). The 101st commanders did not know what to expect, but one thing they did know was that securing Mosul would be a key element in the future rebuilding of Iraq. Ending up in Mosul As Commander of the 101st Airborne Division, Major General (MG) Petraeus undertook this immense responsibility (Lundberg & Zimmerman n.d.). While he did not know …show more content…
There was no instruction manual that could tell MG Petraeus what he needed to rebuild the country. The only thing he could use was his past experience and a devotion to help the people of Iraq get back to normality. Notably, MG Petraeus had to get undivided support from his generals. Additionally, he needed to network with important individuals who could help him make a difference in starting a new Iraq. Thus, he made local contact with emerging political leaders, university professors, judicial figures, religious leaders and local business that understood how Iraq should function (Lundberg & Zimmerman n.d.). Initially MG Petraeus thought his mission was to fight, but it ultimately became about rebuilding and stability. Setting conditions in Mosul was not going to be an easy task, because no one really understood what it was going to take to rebuild Iraq. Someone needed to take charge and show the Iraqi people that the U.S. Army was there to help. He had a vision of making sure the Iraqi people could get back to a normal life, but it was going to take perseverance (Lundberg & Zimmerman …show more content…
MG Petraeus knew there was no other way to achieve that goal of handing over power. Having a local Iraqi elected would help the Iraqi people resolve their own problems. MG Petraeus needed to find a good candidate that had the best interest of Iraq in mind. Using the expertise of his staff and lawyers, he made sure the process was fair and smooth. Creating Normality Next, MG Petraeus needed to provide the Mosul population with a model they could follow. He wanted to help rebuild Iraq, but he also needed to make sure the Soldiers under his command understood his intent (Lundberg & Zimmerman n.d.). MG Petraeus had to convince his troops to use a different approach than normal offensive mindset that Soldiers have. The approach was to win the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people and avoid conflict if possible. Rebuilding Mosul infrastructure became MG Petraeus’s main priority. He wanted the Iraqi people to have a fresh start in life. At first, the mission was to provide a secure environment, but then it changed to create a secure environment. In addition, it changed from providing basic life support, to support economic development. Restoring the infrastructure was going to take time, but making progress was key to the reconstruction of