Why don't we ever finish things(Fallujah,Najaf?)

[jeltz25]

Once again, it seems like we have not finished the job. Now that negotiations have begun in Najaf, Sadr will once again get away. We all know that he'll make some bs statement, drop out of the spotlight for a while, regroup, have the IRGC resupply him and be back to cause havoc.

This same thing happened with him in April, happened in Fallujah, it happens with Israel all the time, it'll happen again. What happened to the old "there is no substitute for victory", we will make no distinction between the terrorists and those that support them, all that talk, which it now seems like it was only that, talk.

I fear that if we continue to take this approach, we'll always have problems. This approach emboldens Tehran. Bush talks tough about their nuclear program, but does anyone here honestly think we'll do anything substantive about it. The Israelis are the only hope and even they have been a bit "wobbly" lately. If they don't have the balls to take out Arafat, do you think they have them to take on Tehran.

I'd appreciate a more positive outlook, but I think it's just spin. No disrepect to those in theater but if the politicians keep restricting them like this then their efforts are wasted. And before you flame away, I don't think Kerry will be any better, if anything he'll be worse, but Bush needs to realize that he needs to be decisive and be able to have victories to show the people. Coming on TV and saying "we have a cease fire, we're continuing to hunt them down" doesn't cut it, everyone sees right through it.

The ultimate irony we'll be that if Bush keeps this strategy up, he'll be back in Crawford come January and Moqtada al-Sadr we'll still be in power

[UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide]

The Qur'an says:

[9.30] "And the Jews say: Uzair is the son of Allah; and the Christians say: The Messiah is the son of Allah; these are the words of their mouths; they imitate the saying of those who disbelieved before; may Allah destroy them; how they are turned away!"

I say out of their own mouths likewise.

[7.62 x 51mm]

JFC, I hope not, cp.

[bert]

"History is written by the victors." - Churchill....

Victory is at hand. A little patience is all that's required.

W is the man.....

[dwills]

i hope you idiots damn well know that our political and military leaders do not favor half measures and pc solutions but are constrained by realities that armchair quarterbacks like yourselves don't have to understand

[WFerraro]

We don't attack the towns Al-Sadr hides in because we're afraid of a massive Shiite rebellion? We are depleting their resources? Do you mean the same Shiite rebels who are being funded and armed by Iran? Do you mean the potential Shiite threat that the Allawi government wants eliminated as quickly as possible? We do not have the wherewithal to confront Iran at this very moment while we're still stationed in Afghanistan and Iraq (and it is a political impossibility right now, for Bush who is facing reelection, or a victorious Kerry), so the funding Sadr is no-doubt receiving from Iran will not stop any time soon. We should have two focuses in Iraq, and only two. That is to train and arm the new Iraqi military and security forces until they are strong, and eliminate any threats they may potentially face in the future. If we allow Al-Sadr to live, he will only work to strengthen his own base and undermine the Iraqi government. In my view, this massive "shiite rebellion" is already underway, and cannot be prevented. The best strategy for us and the Iraqi government to take is to cut the head from the snake, and confront the body which cannot see where it moves. And I really don't care what the television generals are saying. I believe the politicians are tying their hands like they did in Vietnam, and that if it were up to the Generals, they would have eliminated these threats a long time ago. To act in any other way would be to fight a "sensitive war."