Or the civilians will rat them out!
What do we do, if the Republican Guard, say only 15,000 of the most hardcore loyalists decide to take families hostage, and use the residences as snipers nests?
It is also a good strategy to get group think. Picture a block with 10 houses on each side. 2 RG members on each side, 4 out of the 20 houses. They are under orders to kill anyone who tries to surrender, so they are pretty much cut off, unless they can holler across the street and trust that the other 3 of their comrades don't kill them.
They then have to fight when a US soldier comes round, or they will die. Their other option is just hiding inside with the family.
It could get very messy. 15,000 snipers is a hell of a problem. All they need to do is just trade their life. Hide underneath the window sill when an allied soldier comes, and take a pot shot from a hidden vantage point.
It already happened in the assault on Al Fasal. Many regulars surrendered and one said he would talk. They led him asside and he told them where the Baathist militia police station was in the town. The Royal Marines approached it and came under fire. They waited til night, flew A10's over the building to try to force surrender. The Baathists didn't surrender so the Royal Marines attacked the compound. They killed everyone inside. During the action they blew up a gas tank and 2 marines got burned. They wil both survive, only one was badly burned.
In both this example and the one at Umm Qatr, the ratio of casualties is staggering. Also, these huge bombing raids are killing enemy in the hundreds and thousands. The Baathists' days are numbered, their fate sealed and the only ones with a clue are the ones we see waving the white flags...