Lets say that in 2004, in exchange of billions in aid and military weaponry, Pakistan decides to send troops to Iraq to stabilize the country and help fellow muslim brothers in Iraq.
The Pakistani contingent of around 50,000 Troops assume control of Al-Anbar province but the insurgents start targetting them just as they target the American forces as they see the Pakistani soldiers nothing more than Apostates who are following the infidel Christian and Zionist Armies led by USA and UK in the occupation of Arab lands to steal oil and rape and pillage the holy lands of Arabia.
How would the Pakistani Military fare against the Iraqi Insurgents. Will they have less casualties than the Americans or more casualties than the Americans or the same?
Re: How well would the Pakistani Military fare against the Iraqi Insurgents?
Same situation would happen as happened in 1971 Bangladesh. Don't forget Somalia when the muslim Somalians began to hate the Pakistanis so much that they began ambushing and killing many of them. (Google for exact info for why Somalis began to hate Pakistani troops so much).
Pakistan does not have the heavily armoured tanks and vehicles that can more or less withstand IED explosives. They will get a lot more causalties.
Re: How well would the Pakistani Military fare against the Iraqi Insurgents?
**Insurgencies usually take years and not months. So any comparison here should assume multi-year effort by Pak army.
Comparison with 71** if done, should be handled in entirety.
Bharati Feild Marshal Gen. (Retd) Manekshaw (I love this guy for his truthful and humble nature) accepted in a public interview the following:
Bharat trained Mukti Bahini and Pakistani army successfully quashed it.
Bharat sent in 60,000 (six division strength military), and Pakistani army destroyed the whole 6 divisions and Indira cried in pain.
Then only then, Bharat had to take its hijab or burqa (take your pick) off, violate all international norms, and invade a country.
Comaprison with Karachi is another way to look at this. It took many years, but the hoodlums of my Urdu People community were finally put down, and the terrorist leader Altaf Hussain was sent out packing.
Comparison with Somalia is good. Sure Pakistanis suffered casualties in the beginning. All due to "under-equipping" our soldiers thanks to UN rules. Once we had our APC (Armoured Personnel Carriers) deployed, Somali hoodlums couldn't do a jack $hite. In fact it was the Pakistani army unit with APC's that successfully evacuated US Special Forces (remember Black Hawk Down).
Comparison with Kohlu and Wazirastan could be another set of examples. Pak army has struggled in the beginning. However things are going to take some time (again multi-year effort) to settle and all beardos quashed.
Iraq Scenario is another multi-year effort for any force let alone Pakistani army. The difference Pak army can make is that they can infiltrate mosques and Mad-house Madrassahs. Those are the two places where Americans can't go in that easily. So human intel will be much better by Pak army.
Equipment on the ground, and support form the air will come from the US, so no worry on that side.
The biggest gift Pakistan can give to Iraqi people is Peace in Iraq and Pak army can help in that.
The biggest problem in Pakistan is the leftie commie dominated media. They will use every excuse including Islamic beardos to stop Pakistan from helping Iraqi people.
I say kick this 5th column media in the @rse and deploy troops in Iraq.
Re: How well would the Pakistani Military fare against the Iraqi Insurgents?
Frankly, I think the Americans are doing much better a job in Iraq than the Pakistani Army would ever be able to do.
I might be wrong but then thats my opinion.
It is because the Pakistani military lacks training in handling such situations. Like all these years it has been focusing on dealing with India. So it might be good against them. But against insurgents, I don't find them trained enough. They also lack the sophisticated weapons that the americans have.
They might learn a few lessons from Waziristan/Balochistan. But then that would take a long time.
Also if you compare the casualties of American soldiers in Afghanistan with that of Pakistani soldiers in Waziristan, it'l give you a good idea. The americans ( and the nato/isaf ) have been fighting for a longer time,over a larger area, still with far lesser casualties to date.
Re: How well would the Pakistani Military fare against the Iraqi Insurgents?
I beg to differ. NATO didn't suffer casualties because they never went into terrorist heartland in the mountains. Karazai / NATO control is limited to few big cities.
Pakistani army has extensive experience in putting down African insurgents as part of UN missions. Iraqi insurgents are nothing but another group of Africans, so no problem there. Pak army will be better than Americans due to Pak's familiarity with Arab culture. We have in the past put down Arabs rather easily. Case in point, the then Brig. Zia's success against Palestinian hoodlums in Jordan.
Bottom line: comparing Wazirastan hinterlands to city of Kandahar or Kabul is incorrect. Read #3 again.