starting to sound like VIET NAM? FROM DRUDGE

[rainstorm]

U.S. Marines have postponed plans to mount an attack against insurgents in Fallujah and instead will attempt to regain control of the violence-wracked city without a full-scale offensive...

The new strategy reached in consultation with White House over the weekend...

Concerned about the repercussions an attack could generate across Iraq and the Arab world, military to confront a band of hard-core Sunni Muslim insurgents by having Marines conduct patrols in the city alongside Iraqi security forces... Developing...

it sounds like politicians in washington are getting in the way of victory. i am beginning to have doubts

[Derek Ortt]

we're going to lose a lot of soldiers. Maybe time for Bush to take a hike and take Kerry with him

[rainstorm]

this policy will only encourage more killing of us soldiers. the militants have forced us to back down. as with spain, when you flinch, it makes the enemy see you as weak.

[WXBUFFJIM]

So with all this in mind, we'll lose more American soldiers. Just a shame this has to happen!!!!

Jim

[BocaGirl]

this policy will only encourage more killing of us soldiers. the militants have forced us to back down. as with spain, when you flinch, it makes the enemy see you as weak.

If you were Commander-In-Chief, how would you handle it? What your plan be? It's a tough one......we have our country in an election year, and the entire Arab world on the other side. Like that old phrase "between a rock and a hard place." Anyway, I'd love to hear what you'd do. Of course, NUKE 'EM would be the simple solution, but we obviously can't do that.

So, seriously, put yourself in President Bush's shoes for a moment. How would you handle the current situation in Iraq?

BocaGirl
Barbara

[Miss Mary]

Good question Barbara. I've had this discussion with my husband and he always says - "we shouldn't have gone over there in the first place. We shouldn't have interfered." After he has his say, I then ask - "okay, now what should we do?" Of course he has no real clear answer.

I see it that way now too Barbara - we're there, we went and attacked, tried to make things better, etc. Now what is the solution?

I don't usually get involved in these types of topics, but I'm glad you posted this question! I'm just glad my niece's exhusband, is back from Iraq now. He's still stationed at Ft. Campbell, KY but I wouldn't be surprised at all if I heard he was reassigned to Iraq again. Kris is a Sgt. with the 101st.

Mary

[mf_dolphin]

Barbara I don't think we have any choice but to root out the fringe elements that are in violation of the law. We need to be careful around the religous sites but if they're being used to launch attacks then they're fair targets under International Law. The best outcome would be if the moderate clerics would take care of the situation but it doesn't look like they will.

[Stephanie]

I think that it being an "Election Year" should have NOTHING to do with what needs to be done in Iraq. Of course that is not the case, but I really believe that when we invaded Iraq and we were told that our soldiers will only be in there 6 months (correct me if I'm wrong, but I do believe that we were told something to that affect), the Administration didn't really think that this was going to have a negative affect on the Election Year. The Iraqi's were going to welcome our troops with flowers once Sadaam was toppled. The only thing this war would've done for President Bush, in the Administration's mind, was help him win the Election.

I think we need to do some SERIOUS house-cleaning over in Iraq now. We leveled Baghdad with strategically places bombs, why aren't we doing the same thing in those cities?

[rainstorm]

this policy will only encourage more killing of us soldiers. the militants have forced us to back down. as with spain, when you flinch, it makes the enemy see you as weak.

If you were Commander-In-Chief, how would you handle it? What your plan be? It's a tough one......we have our country in an election year, and the entire Arab world on the other side. Like that old phrase "between a rock and a hard place." Anyway, I'd love to hear what you'd do. Of course, NUKE 'EM would be the simple solution, but we obviously can't do that.

So, seriously, put yourself in President Bush's shoes for a moment. How would you handle the current situation in Iraq?

BocaGirl


for one thing, if i were cic, i would have had as many iraqi soldiers and baath party members killed as possible while the war was going on. we let them walk away with their weapons. as far as now, we have to win. as soon as soldiers decide the politicians wont let them win, as in viet nam, we have lost. i would capture al sadr and hang him in a public square. do you know how many militants have been punished at all for attacking and killing our troops? here is the answer, none!! not one. can you imagine what it would be like here if murderers were let go without any punishment?
if we arent there to win, then we dont belong there at all.

[Guest]

Hang him in a square, and you will immediately turn him in a national hero, the martyr that was brutally killed by the unfaithful invaders.
A good way to create some other million of terrorists, or militians, or whatever you like.

[GalvestonDuck]

I think we need to do some SERIOUS house-cleaning over in Iraq now. We leveled Baghdad with strategically places bombs, why aren't we doing the same thing in those cities?

Agreed. And I wish I could answer your question about why we're not doing that now. However, I've never served in the military and I don't know a lot of about military strategy.

But I do recall how we launched massive air strikes in southern Iraq and Kuwait against the Iraqi army during Gulf War I. I remember all those images of "smart-bombs" taking out bridges, airfields, and weapons caches. Then, after we really wiped them out from the air, we sent in ground troops. Within four days, the Iraqis had either surrended or tucked tail and ran.

I was hoping for the same outcome this time. Unfortunately, the first time we didn't have to go as deep into Iraq. Since the battlefield is different, I suppose the strategy has to be also.

[Derek Ortt]

if I were commander in Chief, Fallujah and Najaf would be treated as if they were Belgrade in 1999, meaning severe and repetetive bombing

[Guest]

this policy will only encourage more killing of us soldiers. the militants have forced us to back down. as with spain, when you flinch, it makes the enemy see you as weak.

If you were Commander-In-Chief, how would you handle it? What your plan be? It's a tough one......we have our country in an election year, and the entire Arab world on the other side. Like that old phrase "between a rock and a hard place." Anyway, I'd love to hear what you'd do. Of course, NUKE 'EM would be the simple solution, but we obviously can't do that.

So, seriously, put yourself in President Bush's shoes for a moment. How would you handle the current situation in Iraq?

BocaGirl


for one thing, if i were cic, i would have had as many iraqi soldiers and baath party members killed as possible while the war was going on. we let them walk away with their weapons. as far as now, we have to win. as soon as soldiers decide the politicians wont let them win, as in viet nam, we have lost. i would capture al sadr and hang him in a public square. do you know how many militants have been punished at all for attacking and killing our troops? here is the answer, none!! not one. can you imagine what it would be like here if murderers were let go without any punishment?
if we arent there to win, then we dont belong there at all.

If I was a commander-in-chief and I had made the decision to go into Iraq, I would have had a warplan in place first, so that young kids wouldn't be getting picked off left and right. Bush/Cheney unpreparedness has cost lives.

[southerngale]

I think that it being an "Election Year" should have NOTHING to do with what needs to be done in Iraq. Of course that is not the case, but I really believe that when we invaded Iraq and we were told that our soldiers will only be in there 6 months (correct me if I'm wrong, but I do believe that we were told something to that affect), the Administration didn't really think that this was going to have a negative affect on the Election Year. The Iraqi's were going to welcome our troops with flowers once Sadaam was toppled. The only thing this war would've done for President Bush, in the Administration's mind, was help him win the Election.

I think we need to do some SERIOUS house-cleaning over in Iraq now. We leveled Baghdad with strategically places bombs, why aren't we doing the same thing in those cities?

I disagree. I think the election was the farthest thing from Bush's mind. He does what he thinks is best for the country, for now and the long term. That's one of the things I admire about him...his strength to do what's right even against popular opinion, by those who disagree and/or those who can't see beyond the immediate future.

[Stephanie]

What I was trying to say Kelly was that I think that the Administration thought that the war was only going to help President Bush at Election time and that it wouldn't have been a liability to him at all. This is just my opinion though.

Anyway, it looks like that there's some action brewing there now.