[AlbionGirl]

With a potential bloodbath looming, Marine leaders adopted a mantra: "We don't want to turn Fallujah into Dresden," referring to the Allied firebombing of the German city in World War II that killed tens of thousands of civilians.

Col. Peters is right, American Soldiers in the here and now are the creme de la creme. While I don't think the bombing of Dresden is analagous, who am I to argue with the highest caliber of men on the ground, right there? They used their heads, and because of that they will prevail. I'm surprised at the ex-Saddamites backdoor knockings though. Just goes to show you Tzu was right, the faster you can incorporate the vanquished into the realm of the new order the better your chances of a quick success, and while I've never been to War, I don't think War provides for success should the effort drag on and on.

[ambrose]

As long as it was the commanders on the ground making this move (and not the State Dept.), I'm for it.

Too many keyboard warriors on this site that want to nuke everything.

[jwalsh07]

Military doctrine does not demand door to door fighting in a city like Fallujah. It isn't necessary to accomplish the mission the CIC has given them.

While I subscribe to the theory that the only good jihadist is a dead jihadist, the vast majority are not jihadists and remembering the mission, you can't save a village by killing it.