BUSH MAKES THE CALL: NO FULL SCALE FALLUJAH OFFENSIVE

The Drudge Report ^ | April 25, 2004 | Matt Drudge

[threat matrix]

developing tonight..header for now

[Faraday]

If this headline is true, it would be the first time (that I am aware of) in the military campaign of the war on terrorism that the President has made a tactical military decision. I don't believe it. Bremer might have had significant imput, but I doubt that the President did. Also, with troops in harm's way, they would not be discussing tactics with the media. This is probably griping by some desk jockeys in the Pentagon. We've seen plenty of that before.

[BlkConserv]

This reminds me of the time Reagan pulled out the troops after the 1983 Beirut bombing of U.S. Marines.

He wanted to remain and fight but the Rats fiercely opposed it. Plus the 1984 election was looming on the horizon.

Looks like Bush is succumbing to public opinion generated by the liberal media and again, Democrats.

[risk]

This sounds awfully familiar.

[PhilipFreneau]

Bush is just like his father: a hesitant CINC.

[ohioWfan]

He wouldn't do that, Peach.

Don't be alarmed by the headlines (or the crazies here).

The President lets the military make the calls. If THEY tell him it isn't necessary, he'll make that call.

There is NO way he would deliberately do something that would cost MORE American lives with the military advising him otherwise. NO way.

[section9]

Hey Rokke! Good to see you again! So what say you on this one. Personally, I would have preferred the original, and rather violent, cordon and search operation. If it be violent, it best be over with. However, I have also read that we are further along in Fallujah than is generally acknowledged. So, at this stage of the game, do you think Bush made the right call?

Comments?

Be Seeing You,

Chris

[Pukin Dog]

Relax. Drudge is hyping it a little.

The Military did decide this. Bush blessed it. The military determined that they could not guarantee a 'clean' kill, and that civilians would likely die in the assault, providing a propaganda win for the insurgents if any of them were to survive. The Military is actually grateful for this decision, because they now get to just pick off the insurgents one by one, if any of them are dumb enough to pick up a weapon.

We are already getting propaganda from Al Jazerra trying to encourage an attack by suggesting that the insurgents have 'weakened'. Though that is true, they are not weak enough yet, as they would start shooting civilians themselves just to blame those deaths on America. Al Jazerra's cameras are ready and poised to capture those deaths, so we are not going to provide them. Instead, we will just keep shooting the insurgents through the head from sniper rifles, and let the insurgents starve.

[victoryatallcosts]

The more likely scenario is that, given the present situation, the rewards offered by an offensive are less than the downsides of one.

And Drudge is merely trying to whip people up.

[dinok]

"NOW it's Vietnam!"

Yep...it sure is.

[Prime Choice]

NOW it's Vietnam!

I'm afraid you're right. The moment the White House starts calling the shots in any military engagement, we have lost not only the battle, but the war.

This will only embolden terrorists in other cities to start acting up by terrorizing the locals and picking off our soldier's by two's and three's.

This is an absolutely idiotic mistake that should not have been repeated after seeing how it annihilated the U.S. military under LBJ.

[ohioWfan]

Thank you for being the singular voice of reason on this thread.

[oceanview]

that is not an accurate read of what is going on. if what you claim were true, Bush would be turning everything over to the UN.

i see no evidence of "public opinion" that says Fallujah should be spared - most americans don't even know what is going on over there. ask the average guy on the street, he probably thinks Fallujah is the name of the newest top rap star.

[Spotsy]

I agree with you Hotdog - sit tight.

I had the honor this week of dining with some Marines who served in Iraq, and they are confident that Fallujah is being handled correctly.

[victoryatallcosts]

This is pure nonsense.

Understand- under LBJ the White House regularly micro-managed the details of military operations, ruled various targets off-limits for no good reason, and dictated a strategy which maximized the number of forces in-country while minimizing their potential uses.

Calm down, everyone. Get it: calm down. That's the big problem with the internet, it leads people to prematurely catastrophic thinking.

[ohioWfan]

Well, NOW I know why 'lunatic' is in your screenname.

Give me a BREAK! Which fringe are you on anyway? Right or LEFT?

[Polybius]

But how will this be perceived by the Fallujah insurgents?

They will see it as a sign of weakness. They will attack and they will be picked off by Marine sniper teams and air support.

Marines: 11 insurgents killed in ambush in Fallujah [embedded reporter]

[threat matrix]

Like this guy says, wipe them out...all of them! (violent muslim extremist fanatics that is)

[Mr. Mojo]

Concerned about the repercussions an attack could generate across Iraq and the Arab world........

Yep, we must not antogonize our Arab/Islamic brothers and sisters, else "millions of more bin Ladens" will pop up all over the place. We must show them our abudant compassion, win their "hearts and minds," and then they'll return the favor tenfold later. You see, they're "just like us," .....a bunch of freedom-loving folks.

Islam is indeed a "religion of peace" and quite capable of coexisting peacefully with the Western world and adopting Western values. Islamists just need a little compassionate and patient guidance, that's all. And killing these poor misguided "insurgents" indiscrimminately is NOT the way to do it. These terr....errr.... militants might very well respond favorably to negotiations. I mean, who are we to judge?

</ monthly dose of sarcasm out of my system>

[Pukin Dog]

Can we start a rule of engagement for this thread that when all the military tactical "experts" on FreeRepublic start detailing the military strategy we SHOULD be using, they add their actual military expertise to back up their opinion.

Nice shot across the bow, dude.

[Endeavor]

If this is true, why would you broadcast it to the enemy?