[Eurotwit]

See my post to Dog.

In a way, I totally share your sentiments expressed on the other thread. Yet, I realise that this is a very hairy situation.

I will wait before I jump to any conclusions.

Who knows? If these Iraqifization ideas ends up being implemented, they might end up being a smashing success.

I must admit that I sometimes feel like the coalition should take a page out of the Thai playbook and clean up the mess once and for all. Make a parking lot out of the "holy" shrines in Najaf. Drop a MOAB on top of the bastards in Fallujah. But, then again how well has similar strategies worked for the Russians so far?

What do you think?

[swarthyguy]

Najaf is the Mecca of the Shiites. Wouldn't be prudent.

That would be bad, and I think that's being handled fine.

But a victory in Falluja would've given us more leverage over the Shias and strengthened our hand.

As it is, I'm cheering the return of the Baathis. Too many of us believe our own propaganda about the Baathis.

Enemy of my enemy....they are secularists and the US has worked with them in the 70's and the 80's.

Regardless, even after the Baathis beat the jihadis, the jihadis will take the msg of the Fallujans holding off the Americans for a month as an inspiration.

[NJ_gent]

"I must admit that I sometimes feel like the coalition should take a page out of the Thai playbook and clean up the mess once and for all. Make a parking lot out of the "holy" shrines in Najaf. Drop a MOAB on top of the bastards in Fallujah. But, then again how well has similar strategies worked for the Russians so far?

What do you think?"

I think the Russians carpet-bombed town after town, city after city in Afghanistan, and still were driven from that country. I think they shelled and bombed the hell out of Grozny in ~'95 and again in '99, but were driven out in '96 and may yet be driven out again. I don't think you win these sorts of battles without men on the ground systematically eliminating weapons supplies and hostiles. The military is a broadsword, not a sledgehammer and not a scalpel - the more we try to use it like something it's not, the more we taste what the Russians have been feasting on in about half a dozen countries for the past 50 years.

[jpsb]

The Romans knew how to deal with these people, it wasn't pretty but it worked.