We could just stand back and bomb them like we did our friends the Serbs.
No, we are too week to do that, both internally and externally. When we bombed the Serbs, the world did not fully wake up to the fact that we are the only power left. Now they realize it, do not like it (regardless of what we do or do not do), and hate us for that.
Internally our problems started in Vietnam and continue todat: our nation, in contrasrt to our brave soldires and most of their families, does not have resolve to fight to the death. Under Carter, it did not have resolve to fight at all. We recovered a little under Reagan and Buhs, are much better yet in this conflict: as a nation, we are willing to fight and support the President so far. But do not see us being ready to fight to the their death.
During WWII, if our boys dorve through a street of a concurred city and someone fired a show from a window, a tank would stop, turn the turret, and level a few floors of that building (or the whole thing, depending on its size). We did not wait for the popular German uprising and thanks for the "liberation:" we fought. That is how you acquire and retain control of concurred cities. There are no other precedents in history of which I am aware. Since this is based on human nature, "smatness" of weapons does not change this fact at all.
Almost since inception, we have this unchakabke belief that, if given a chance to live the way we do, other peoples would prefer it. Since WWII dozens of new countris sprung up --- in Africa, Asia, former Soviet Union. Not one adopted our constitution. Iraqis will never be greatful for "liberation" (just look at the Germans and the French that are more close to us culturally). I really do not care what they feel: I want a government there that is not a threat. In the meantime, all I care about is the lives of our boys and girls over there.
This (as stated by Gen. Meyers and others) is a wholly new concept of warfare from the ground up. This is not Patton's army, and I am quite sure he would be screaming bloody hell over the tactics employed here.
This entire operation when viewed as a whole, appears to be working.
Although we know the end game, we do not know how the end game will play out. There may and have been some adjustments to peculiarities on the battlefield. Everything looks good so far to me.
After it is all over, we can get out our critical pens and go to town, but for now, let's be as supportive as we can and not scare the hell out of the family members who await the return of their loved ones.