On or Off? Odd U.S. Alliance With an Ex-Hussein General

New York Times ^ | 5/3/04 | John Kifner

[saquin]

I'm still scratching my head trying to figure out exactly what this "plan" entails, and what the endgame is.

[Anti-Bubba182]

Me too, but the quote below is a good reason to doubt his intentions.

".."There are no foreign fighters in Falluja, and the local tribal leaders have told me the same," he told the Reuters news agency..."

[lawdog]

Apparently this is a "fly by the seat of the pants " strategy. I'm still waiting for "it" to get off the ground. Seriously, this is looking like a real real f^&k up !

[paul51]

My bet is we will end up in battles with this general and his followers after we have armed them and helped organize them.

[mikegi]

The insurgents, the officer said, could claim: "We fought the U.S. military machine to a standstill. Come join us. Get on the winning team."

Gee, ya think?!? I just can't believe that the USMC is this naive.

[Rokke]

Standard media. Get the original story wrong. Publish it everywhere. Then blame the military when reality doesn't match their own screwed up reporting. This kind of reminds me of are "stalled" drive to Bahgdad, and our "quagmire" in Afghanistan.

[Burkeman1]

They way this whole story has played out is depressing. At first I thought it was a total lie. Then I learn it is not a total lie. Then I learn there was debate among commanders about this whole idea. What the heck is going on? Now they are playing games about who leads what? Does anyone have a grasp of this situation at all in the slightest? Is there even a chain of command?

[Burkeman1]

He is said to be recruiting his troops among former Iraqi soldiers in the city, although General Conway conceded that some of them might have been among the insurgents.

"These guys are not squeaky clean, but they are pretty clean," he said.

What? What the heck is that?

[marty60]

Well if this guy can scare the Cr** out of these thugs more power to him. Let them shoot at their own troops for a change. Plus they know who's who. That makes a BIG difference.

[MN_Mike]

The end game is to get Iraqis to take over both in governance and security. Playing Rambo on every opportunity may be reassuring but it makes the Iraqis overly dependent on the US and moves us away from our mission.

These Fallujah troops are on a short leash, produce or we will do it for you. We have to give them the opportunity, but they must take certain confidence building actions (find the criminals, turn in the arms, etc.). If they don't get it done, we will.

[MN_Mike]

The USMC is not that naive, by the bias media is. Consider those who are so gleeful, who are ready to claim victory. This is not the end but the beginning of the end (for them).

It's tactics not the mission. The mission will be accomplished.

[swarthyguy]

I agree with the Gen Saleh. All the foreign jihadis have left for Baghdad.

Myers said he's not in charge and not been vetted.

[Jmouse007]

The President's PC FALLUJA strategy is FUBAR

It appears he does not have the strength to stay the course and do what needs to be done in order to fight this fight, WIN THIS WAR and gain the victory. Instead, like VIETNAM, the administration is more concerned about PC "politics" and reduced to half and quarter measures.

Our generals and boots on the field have to fight this war with one or both hands tied behind their backs so as to not offend the "Arab street". The terrorists in FALLUJA have proclaimed their "VICTORY" and Aljazera is broadcasting it all over the world. Putting a Bathist "general" in charge of rounding up Bathist terrorists is the height of STUPIDITY. Don't tell me there is a "plan", there ain't no "plan" they are trying to make this up as they go along and it STINKS!

As a Vietnam Vet, I am ASHAMED, it is like we have learned NOTHING from the lessons of Korea, Vietnam and the half-won Gulf War I. I believe we have about 2 weeks to straighten this mess out before it is genuinely FUBAR. If we lose in FALLUJA, we lose. America will be proven a "paper tiger" easily tamed and restrained by the threats of "The Arab street" and offending the world and the UN.

What has happened to the resolve the President once possessed and proclaimed when he stood before Congress and proclaimed his determination to do whatever it took to win the war on terrorism?

[stylin19a]

The insurgents, the officer said, could claim: "We fought the U.S. military machine to a standstill. Come join us. Get on the winning team."

In this article, they are already doing that.

But as fighters in Falluja celebrated what mosque loudspeakers hailed as "victory over the Americans,"...

[cpl. jones Eco 2-8]

If you read around the quote, its true. There are no foreign fighters in Iraq, because... they are considering all mongrol...ahem, I mean muslims to be the same. There are no borders when it comes to faith with these people.

[EternalHope]

The President's PC FALLUJA strategy is FUBAR.

Looks like it to me.

We lost this one pretty badly. We did not lose on the field of battle. We lost in the political arena.

If we move quickly enough we may be able to salvage something, but there is no way this is anything but a disaster.

[cpl. jones Eco 2-8]

I know I'm getting off the subject here but... let me say something about our "stalled drive to Bagdhad." I personally knew Col. Joe Dowdy, except as a Capt. in the Corps. He was my company commander and a damn fine officer. He was such a fine officer that if he asked me for help, even today, I'd walk there if need be. He was rail-friggen-roaded so that general (cant remember his name) could advance his sorry assed career. They lost a fine, high quality officer. But Col. Dowdy, bowed out in typical "Rowdy-Dowdy" style keeping his professional courtesies and Military bearing. Good Luck Sir.

[Anti-Bubba182]

That is one way to look at it. I am sure the General is well
aware of what the US means and is looking for.

[gandalftb]

Amen, the Press, particularly Perry/LA Times just tripped all over themselves on this story. They puffed up this story from the original hustle and now jump on every angle that somehow supports it. Professional journalism it ain't. The main problem is the Press has gone to garrison in their hotels in Baghdad and don't have any original sources, just each other. They have to rehash any story to justify their bar tabs. They are not on the battlefield and it shows.

[appeal2]

I am reminded of that scene in Apocolypse Now! where the colonel is chastising Joker for wearing a peace sign. He explains that inside every g--k is an American just waiting to get out. I guess inside every Iraqi is an American just waiting to get out.