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Mission 4 - Tactical Considerations
Samarra Bank Heist, Part 1

Escape Mission
The ambush proved the Fedayeen’s initial tactical advantage -- surprise -- could only be countered with awesome firepower.

Heavy, slower-moving vehicles were employed by coalition design. Unyielding tanks with overwhelming firepower were chosen over more maneuverable machines because the convoy could force its way through the city unchallenged.

A more deadly scenario could have come during the actual currency exchange, where soldiers and guards were outside the parked vehicles and totally vulnerable to the forces lying in wait. A stopped convoy creates a kill sack, where enemies can pick off chosen targets at their leisure. This was the idea behind constructing the road barricade. If the convoy had to stop in succession, enemy forces would have the advantage of time and opportunity.

In retaliating, coalition troops had little time to decipher between citizen and enemy. The fact that some citizens began throwing rocks at the troops made the job easier, as the military rule is, ‘Any hostile act is an enemy act.' The very fact that the Fedayeen chose the area surrounding a marketplace is an indication that collateral damage may have been a key design element, leaving troops to shoot citizens in the crossfire and raising anti-American sentiment.

The crucial task of delivering currency had to be completed no matter what the opposition. The dinar, without the face of Saddam Hussein this time, is a symbol of economic renewal for the Iraqi people. Also, money seized by the enemy could be used as a force multiplier, strengthening their position against allied forces.

Enemy fighters had to know with a combined total of more than 90 coalition fighters, its chances for victory were slim. But it wasn't necessarily about the win. They had sufficient intelligence to disrupt the duties of the coalition, and therein lay a sufficient target of opportunity.