here- ”It is so totally clear now that the Marines are making their OWN decisions, based on what they see on the ground, and are NOT some "puppets" on the Pentagon's string that to keep arguing that we are "not letting the Marines do their job" is laughable.
“BTW, this is exactly what my MARINE COUSIN told me was going to happen---that the very last option was to go into the city and have a big bloody battle. And, last I looked, the Marines had identified 28 baddies they needed to kill or capture . . .and have now killed or captured 27 of them. I'd call that effective. ‘
here- ”Let me add that I keep hearing from my Lt. Col. Marine cousin, who is now being recalled to Iraq, that in fact the Marines are using EXACTLY the right strategy and that everything has been pretty much as the MARINES (not Rummy or anyone else) planned.
“But elf or other "critics" who "know" what is happening behind the scenes won't be convinced by what the actual participants have to say.”
here - ”Don't need to discuss something with someone who is so far off base that he can't see home plate. Let me know when you are talking to Marines in theater.”
here- “Your "major papers" have been deconstructed ad nauseum. Give it up. You can no longer contort your unreality to fit the facts of Fallujah.”
here- ”The Times can be wrong, and obviously is. But, of course, that doesn't fit the template.”
All I noticed is that he DID NOT WANT TO ADVANCE IN THE FIRST PLACE, which is what I have said all along. This is not a winning scenario without massive "depopulation" via night fighers and air softening. (BTW, that is starting to occur now, and I think you'll see after our elections the Iraqis "request" that we go in and clean out Fallujah).