"One is made up of soldiers like me. The other is the Republican Guard. The special guard will support and defend Saddam. The ordinary soldiers and many of the commanders will surrender."
I have a pretty good idea as to what 'soldiers like him' are..............guys grabbed off the street, put in a uniform, and told that if they don't hold their positions, their families in 'protective custody' back home won't be so protected.
I think every effort to spare these men should be made. Without endangering our forces of course.
I'm sure that these units have hard core "SS" officers dispersed among them to ensure that they do what Saddam wants them to. They'll have a choice, albeit a hard one. Perhaps they will choose to make a more profound case for themselves; Mukhabarat and Republican Guard trooper being marched ahead of them at bayonet point towards American lines.