THE YOUNG men, and they were always young men, were brainwashed into thinking they had nothing to lose, nothing to live for, by their betters up the chain of command. Suicide, they were told, was honorable. As long as they took out as many Allies as possible. America and her uneasy and perhaps not always trustworthy friends were winning battle after battle, and maybe one day the war—and who would want to live to see that happen?
Besides, their deaths might contribute to a greater good. Even if they would never see it. Perhaps the forces closing in would see how fierce the opposition, how willing it was to embrace death, and give up the fight. Call it a scare tactic. One of the scariest.
It was hoped that wave after wave of suicides would scare the American people back home, too. And prove to them that this wouldn’t be easy, as if it were easy before. Maybe politics among the English-speakers would take over, and a democracy in action would call the boys home before even more were killed. That was the plan. But would it work?
The first several waves of suicide bombers had caused panic among the Americans, although no martial victory would come from them. But give them time. (But not too much time. Strapping young men into death machines doesn’t help recruiting, and sooner or later you run out of ammo.)
The United States government has told its people—and the world, thanks to a free press—that it was in this war for the long haul. And warned that it might get even uglier before the kamikazes burn themselves out, sometimes literally. Or as a press secretary in Washington put it: “Americans . . . are in harm’s way right now and we do not lose sight of that.”
The Americans have started a new campaign, one of public relations, to try to impede the enemy and warn civilians of the war that will soon get personal for them. Planes are dropping leaflets, warning civilians of what’s coming. But nobody really believes the enemy will lay down his arms because of the propaganda campaign. But maybe a few civilians could be spared.
This is what the battle looks like as Kurdish, Iraqi and American forces close in on Mosul today. Allied forces captured 17 villages around Iraq’s second-largest city last week, and ISIS sent out waves of suicide car bombers to counteract the advance. One report noted that some of them were “successful,” that is, successful at taking out Allied armor, not of winning anything or bringing those suicide drivers back behind the lines alive.
Lessons: The enemy is desperate. And likely to get more so. Because he’s losing ground rapidly.
The battle for Mosul has started. The generals say it will be over in a matter of days or weeks. The only sure thing between now and victory is that the enemy will throw everything at us. Including his country’s next generation.