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There is a lot of speculation by former generals such as McCaffrey about the state of the war and our battle plan but before we fret too much about the opinions of GW I commentators I'd like to make a few observations:

1) If memory serves, McCaffrey's superiors in the first Gulf War were Cheney and Powell who I note are actively involved in this campaign. Tommy Franks and other members of the command and control are also Gulf War vets. Their thoughts and opinions carry more weight at this point than many of the commentators who have been retired for several years.

2) Some have commented on Rummy's inexperience. I seem to remember Rummy running a pretty successful war campaign in Afghanistan last year. I also remember those critics who were talking about a stalled war effort and rising casualties when in fact the Taliban fell shortly following their criticism.

3) Yes, Rummy initially favored a smaller invasion force but that does not indicate his first battle plan would have followed the same strategy as the one now.

4) You are vastly underestimating the intellingence of the Arab world. The arabs supporting Saddam and radical Islam don't care if we carpet bomb or drop daisies, they will hate America regardless. I'm less worried about how we are welcomed in the middle of the conflict as I am concerning how we are welcomed once Saddam's regime is removed.

5) Please be careful not to ascribe the opinions of the media to the Administration. All the comments I have seen from the Administration follow a pattern of bracing Americans for a difficult and protracted war.

Let's see where things stand in the next few days before we assess the effectiveness of the war strategy.

BB