[Rokke]

I think martial law in Iraq might be a viable option, but it probably won't really be enforceable until we get a lot more Iraqis trained in law enforcement. Our guys can't do it alone. But with regard to post WWII Germany...there were many "terrorist" incidents in Germany during the initial years of our occupation. And I don't think the Germans were threatened by memories of Dresden as much as they were just absolutely defeated and starving. It's kind of hard to fight when your eating wood chips for survival.

[dimk]

Big question is, do we have an overal strategy to actually bring this to conclusion in 5-10 year time. People who think that counterinsurgency war can be won in matter of a year or 2 are kidding themselves. The all out response is not guaranteed to give victory(unless US is willing to commit total genocide ala Serbs), egyptians during their war vs tribal insurgents in Yemen used everything in their arsenal. This includes gasing villages with nerv gas in retribution, mass masacres etc USSR did not pull any punches in Afganistan. Napalming civilians, using toys loaded with plastic explosives etc And now Russian actions in Chechnya. What good did it do?

Counterinsurgency is not a normal war. It can be won but it is not by massacres or just by trying to be nice(DO NO HARM eek..). I will not pretend that I know the solution. Brits did something right in Malaya. This is probably the only recent successful example. Hopefully US Army has some good ideas about what to do.