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Cities ave played a strategic role in
military campaigns throughout history, from the Trojan War to the fall
of Berlin and up to the present day. Whether because of their
geographic location, concentration of wealth and power or symbolic
value, cities have been strategic objectives in most of history’s
conflicts. Trends in world demographics indicate a significant
increase in the number and size of urban areas throughout the world,
ensuring that many future military operations will take place in urban
environments. |
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Soldiers of the
US 3rd Infantry Divison patrol the streets of Fallujah, Iraq. |
In fact, that trend
has already begun. US military operations over the past decade such as Khafji, Kuwait City, Monrovia, Mogadishu, Port-au-prince and Baghdad, as
well as cities in Bosnia, Serbia and Kosovo indicate the frequency with
which US forces operate in urban areas. US experience in these operations
and that of other military forces shows that urban areas offer significant
operational challenges across the range of military operations, but
particularly for combat.
Further, the great
complexity of the urban environment requires military forces to pay
particular attention to the unique and demanding requirements of
operations in those areas. It is therefore imperative that commanders and
staffs understand those requirements and consider them in the planning and
conduct of operations in the urban environment.
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