[elfman2]

"Fine. But this is talking about the ceasefire, not the Marine's creating the "Fallujah Brigade". Nobody has disputed that the earlier ceasefire was a political call, IIRC."

Really, I read them all the opposite.

Politicians preventing the Marines from a large scale offensive is all that I’m focused on. It was a forced cease fire that they could not lift.

When the Marines were not allowed to fight the way they believe is right, they did just about what I speculated the other night with you. They said screw this, prematurely brought in this force that’s only appropriate for policing a pacified city, and pulled back.

I acknowledged many times that the Fallujah Brigade was a Marine creation. I have little problem with it as long as the Marines are allowed to resume the offensive. They can lead with it and have it whipped out in the first 30 minutes for all I care. Just unhook their leash.

[WOSG]

"I acknowledged many times that the Fallujah Brigade was a Marine creation."

oh, well then! I wasted lots of bandwidth disputing that impression you gave!

[gandalftb]

The Marines "created" the Falluja Brigade but their influence was almost entirely financial. What training they got was by the Army special forces through the ICDC 36th Brigade which almost entirely deserted early on. The Falluja Brigade is directly and soley under Marine command and will not be made an ICDC unit but disbanded later.