[Mr. Mojo]

Storming Fallujah would have begotten Jenin-like hysteria, condemnations from mullahs and imams, and cries from John Kerry — for a day or two — but begrudging respect inside Iraq that thousands of insurrectionists (among them hated Baathists) were dead or scattered, and it was safer now to be against Saddam's remnants than with them.

Precisely.

[expatpat]

However, it would have caused a lot of US casualties in urban battles, and that's not good, either humanitarianly or politically.