[Uncle Miltie]

"We lost the battle of Fallujah. By surrendering."

Truth hurts, bump.

[Moby Grape]

You are right, truth hurts....it is just such backing off that will cause loss of support for Bush's handling of Iraq. (particularly when the reason we were going after these people was to get the killers of the four mutilated workers).

As Patton said, Americans will not accept a loser.....Americans want JUSTICE and they want it NOW.

[Polybius]

"We lost the battle of Fallujah. By surrendering."....... Truth hurts, bump.

At the current time, although there is no fighting in Fahullah, the entire city is still encircled by the U.S. Marines and the jihadis inside are trapped like rats.

We have "lost the battle of Fallujah" just as MacArthur "lost" the Battle of Rabaul.

In the mean time, on the Shiite side, the Shiite clergy has turned it's back on Muqtada al-Sadr and, day by day, the U.S. is wreaking havok on his militia.

20 Of Sadr's Mahdi Army Die In Battle At Mosque

Sometimes battles are won (or lost as in the case of Pickett's Charge) by all out frontal assaults. Sometimes battles are won by other means as at Rabaul.

The way that you "throw victory away" is is to declare defeat whenever you are confused by the fog of war.

"To win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the highest skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the highest skill."........... -Sun Tzu