[Marine_Uncle]

I doubt many are. They will see the upcoming battles as some sort of failure as apposed to yet another step forward in required missions.
Mission objectives as some of us realize, are relatively new. No one expected us to have to possibly fight tens of thousands of Shia we had freed from the grips of the Butcher.
As things heat up perhaps some will start to understand a bit better what the POTUS meant by adapting to the situation.
Similiar things could be said about the Afghanistan SASO.
At this point one would have expected all the war lords in the various provinces to be either have been killed off and their armies placated or having them joined in the democratic process to a large degree of course with the help of bribary etc..
Obviously we are still having to go after two bit local chieftans etc., as well as fighting a partly refurbished Taliban.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

NY Times and Washington Post have now picked up the story....that's good.

I did post it since this is now a rather long thread.....See this:

NY Times: Iraqi Forces in Fierce Battle With Gunmen ~ US copter down....250 militants down...