They are killing a lot of them, that is the goal. They are being watched from the sky 24/7. I am sure the commanders on the ground know a lot more than we do.
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Since Nov 3, 2004
Moby? Is that you?
Lots of insurgents are being killed, the city is being taken, and the insurgents that slipped out will not have a comparable haven to move into elsewhere..
First, some did leave, but anyone going out by road was checked. At gunpoint. Those going out across the fields were check-mated.
So fewer got away than the MSM leads you to believe. Yes, some did, - hiding under the burka.
But lots and lots are taking dirt naps right now.
As on Captain mentioned on Fox this morning: When you put a tank mani-gun H.E. round through a window from which you were taking fire, there's really not enough left to determine if they got killed or got away.
The source isn't AP as you suggested. It's your vain brain and should be labeled as such.
Yes. leave the Counter Insurgency to the experts. The sort of collective responsiblity the hard core right Radio ranters like Savage advocate is counter productive. Look how well it work for the Nzais during WW2.
"They blend in with the population"
Kind of hard to do that carrying an AK-47 or an RPG. So what if they left? They have been driven out of their sancuaries and we are capturing tons of equipment. They are even less effective on the run.
Kind of curious why a certain class of Freeper always insists on seeing defeat in the midst of massive victory?
Free Milosevic!
I don't think that there was way to avoid the usual BS negotiations which once again took place between the Iraqis and insurgents before this battle began to try and get the insurgents to turn in their weapons. It was once again nothing more than a stalling tactic on the part of the bad guys to slip away.
But at least this time we did get to go in and waste at least 500 of them. And we will hold the city at least for a while. So this is progress over earlier attempts to pacify Fallujah. The fact that Allawi did give the order for action is also a very important development. And hopefully the insurgents will now have a better idea of just what they are up against vs. the USMC which should make them think twice about taking real warriors on again.
Unfortunately the lighting raid and swift counterattack is what has Israel in such hot water in much of the world community and losing international support. Any sort of lighting raid that disregarded civilian casualties would paint the US with the same brush, giving even more propaganda to the enemy, tying is straight in with Israel in not only alliance, but tactics.
In this war you have to think outside the box of "kill enough of 'em to make 'em quit". We're on a multi-front war, and one is fighting the propaganda of the enemy. Give the enemy this kind of propaganda and you'll just replace anyone you kill with a new terrorist. To win, you have to not only kill the enemy, but deny them the propaganda to recruit. Certainly they will propagandize as much as possible, but propaganda holds much more weight when backed by truth than by supposition.