Plan B -- for Baghdad [Krauthammer]

Washington Post ^ | April 4, 2003 | Charles Krauthammer

[Quilla]

The first gulf war took six weeks. Afghanistan took nine. Kosovo, 11. We are now just past two weeks in the second gulf war. It's time for a bit of perspective. This campaign has already been honored with a "quagmire" piece by the New York Times' Johnny Apple, seer and author of a similar and justly famous quagmire piece on Afghanistan published just days before the fall of Mazar-e Sharif and the swift collapse of the Taliban.

The drumbeat of complaint for the first two weeks from the media, retired generals and anonymous administration malcontents has been twofold: the "flawed plan" and the raised expectations.

[Quilla]

Another excellent analysis.

[goldstategop]

It took 15 days for us to reach Baghdad. The Germans subdued Poland in 27 days during World War II. We may yet beat the blitzkrieg record for victory yet.

[randita]

The point of allowing expectations to remain unrealistically high was to encourage waverers in Hussein's entourage to turn against the regime very early and end the war even before it began. It was a good idea. It did not pan out. But given the possible benefits, it was certainly worth a try.

The regime did not collapse overnight. Hence Plan B, an adapted version of the original war plan. It involves real fighting and real losses. Plan A, in contrast, while always plausible, was a hope for the miraculous. It was a kind of anti-war plan, as it would not have required any real battles at all.

[Bullish]

The miracle having not happened, we are now fighting a conventional war. And winning -- thanks to the Franks plan and its flexibility, and despite the carping of those who, in conflict after conflict, see Vietnam in anything short of immediate immaculate victory.

They WANT to see Vietnmam in any Republican led engagement. And I believe they would secretly be very happy if our troops were annihilated because the bottom line to them is to see W and his team fail. PERIOD!

The left really makes me sick!

[samtheman]

The leaders of the RAT party secretly agree with the professor from Columbia, secretly yearn for a massacre of Americans on the battlefield.

Anything to help them keep their jobs.