[diamond6]

I agree with most of what you have to say. However, even what happens in the next few days, may not tell us everything about this war. There are ebbs and flows to every war. We need to be prepared for the bad, as well as the good. The only consolation is that we will inevitably be victorious, because we are working for the greater good.

[BoomerBob]

I don't disagree with you at all. Casualties could be as high as McCaffrey suggests but there is no way to know until we've fully engaged the forces around Baghdad.

This war is obviously being fought under different rules of engagement than previous efforts. As much as I'd prefer to provide maximum protection for our soldiers (and my brother is out there somewhere with them) it's my opinion that a preemptive war, such as this, places a greater moral burden to limit the potential of civilian casualties. It's a high standard, to be sure, but that's part of what elevates our country above all others.