[Steel and Fire and Stone]

The Southern Iraqie Shites have declared the U.S. an "enemy of Islam". They hate us so much that they've even (reportedly) linked up with the Sunni Baath Rebels and Osama terrorists.

The Shites "perseverence" in hate has been rewarded. They will now answer to a Sunni General (i.e. once Falluja is pacified, Iraq's ONLY proven, effective Army will be Sunni led.

Hope they're all REAL happy now down south. Instead of U.S. leadership, and Iraqi democracy, they now return to Sunni leadership, and a more tenuous democracy.

SFS

[joesnuffy]

As U.S. commanders struggle to stamp out open rebellion in two cities and bombings that kill their soldiers daily, United Nations (news - web sites) Secretary-General Kofi Annan (news - web sites) said he expected the Security Council to authorize a multinational force to take over after Washington hands formal sovereignty to Iraqis on June 30.

[taxed2death]

I could almost believe this except for the fact that during the last few years, I've been told that anyone who "stood up to Sadam" was now six feet under.

[AIBC]

I think the rocade with former Saddam generals is just a time gaining strategy. The US should bring in the Abrams tanks from Germany. The RPGs, it turns out, are quite effective against the Humvees, besides that, they are also portable and easily concealed. To attack a tank of the Abrams kind, one needs a more serious weapon like the SPG-9, or at least a 100 mm antitank cannon, not to mention the PTURS - from the former Soviet arsenal.
It seems to me the marines are not equipped well for Fallujah, which is why we see the newly-formed Iraqi army going in and out of the city for some time. I am no military expert, but it seems to me that if you want the problem resolved militarily, you must bring in the tanks!
As an example, Israel fights the same kind of guerrilla force, armed with similar weapons, and is successful with far less casualties.

[UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide]

I've said it before but I'll say it again:

If this Iraqi general is actually pro-American he will be assassinated and drug through the streets by "his own" men within days. And we will be facing bullets from "our own" Iraqi force.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

FALLUJA, Iraq  - The U.S. Marines besieging Falluja brought in a former Iraqi general with a history of standing up to Saddam Hussein on Monday to lead a force they have charged with putting down an insurgency in the city.

After outrage among victims of the Baathist regime at their appointment of a former general in his feared Republican Guard,* U.S. commanders have now brought in another ex-general, Mohammed Latif, to take overall command of the Falluja Brigade.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Many in Saddam's military - including the Republican Guard - served because their family members were threatened, tortured or killed because they disagreed with Saddam.

Reuters seldom interviews Saddam's victims.

They often interview anti-American allies of Saddam Hussein.

Stand by for verification, or debunking....

Adults in charge, flexible plan - because it is the real world and not a socialist utopian fantasyland - ping!