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To: elfman2
I'm not sure at all that the President has much to do personally with what is going on in Fallujah now. It is more likely these decisions are comming from the area commanders. There is no doubt that Bush will pay a political price for what happens there as it affects the larger picture in Iraq.

What concerns me is how they have backed away from their original objectives. First they back off demands for the turn over of the contractor killers. I doubt if they would get them anyway because they could have left before they cordoned of the area. But it is different with the foreign fighters. They are going to be able to blend in with the Iraqis and fade away into the larger population or other areas.

I doubt if we see either a big turn over of heavy weapons or a Marine assault as long as the new forces don't start shooting at us.

The problem with this is that it gives the insugents something to point to as a victory. This is in a country where most people are sitting on the fence looking to join the side of the winner. They will be paying careful attention because their decision is a matter of life or death.

The insurgents, if left alive and a presence in Fallujah, can say that they were not dislodged by a superior Marine and US force. It does not matter how many casualties they took. If they hold the ground, they win.

In the first Gulf War, when the Iraqis stood, they were distroyed. You will recall there was much less resistance by the Iraqi Regular Army or Republican Guard in this war because they learned they can't win. They learned because they were shown. We are offering no such lesson in Fallujah.

50 posted on 05/03/2004 5:25:39 PM PDT by Anti-Bubba182
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To: Anti-Bubba182
But we can't do anything that will inflame the Arabs. They can kill as many of us as they want but we can't strike back because it might upset the people that we are trying to help. What kind of sense does that make?
82 posted on 05/03/2004 5:50:41 PM PDT by dalebert
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