[mystery-ak]

This is my greatest fear.....

[Cicero]

So, what else is new?

[TADSLOS]

"So I asked myself today which war will this be: Desert Storm or Somalia?"

Neither.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Maybe so, I tend to expect much of that, but what is the alternative?

While my conclusion my be unfair, given the limits of this article, this retired general seems to be worried only with his military sphere, without considering an ultimate solution. Basically the "That's not my job" mentality.

[mystery-ak]

Turner is on Fox now.

[knarf]

Col. .... the CIC now is far and away more a man and soldier than x42.

[McGruff]

There's a few differences between this operation and Somalia:

1 - The UN was in charge in Somalia. We are in charge now.

2 - We didn't have overwhelming force in Somalia. We do here.

3 - Norman assumes the Iraqis want to defend this butcher.

4 - We didn't have any locals in Somalia to do our dirty work for us. We will here.

[Fitzcarraldo]

U.S. and British troops take over Baghdad airport and surround the city...

Sadaam launches SCUDs at Israel with biological/chemical warheads...

Israel instantly retailiates with nuclear weapons targeted for Baghdad...

[jlogajan]

'likely' repeat of Somalia bloodbath

Isn't that where about 20 US soldiers killed about 1000 Somalians?

[mware]

A former military aide to General Norman Schwarzkopf has warned that a US-led war against Iraq could turn into a disaster that echoes the bloody debacle of Somalia

The difference is that we do not have Clinton and Les Aspin denying the troops the equipment they need to be successful.

[Cap Huff]

Whether this retired Colonel is good or not I can't say, but the article is clearly written as propaganda. "Top planner" makes it sound like he was in charge of Pentagon planning. I doubt some bird colonel was quite that exalted. Second, they bring in first the name of General Schwartzkopf. Name dropping. As if General Schwartzkopf would endorse the view given here.

[liberallarry]

Yep. A possible, even likely, outcome.

Another is that all the Muslim states we dislike - Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Libya, Egypt - will be drawn into the conflict and smashed. The carcasses would then be divided among the conquerors, with the carrion going to the vultures who stayed on the sidelines during the conflict.

War always entails risk. Unless you believe the current leadership - led by the son of the President who presided over the war which Turner so admires - are complete morons, you have to know that they are well-aware of Turner's arguments and have decided to reject them because they believe the war must be fought regardless of the risks.

[xzins]

Colonel Turner said the US had made the mistake of fixing its sights early on ridding the world of Saddam Hussein. This plan had met stiff opposition from the uniformed staff within the Pentagon, but the administration had chosen this focus regardlessly.

The president has specifically said that the mission is to "disarm Iraq and institute regime change." They have specifically said that capturing Saddam was not the mission. It is an objective somewhere down the line of objectives.

[AF68]

More scare-mongering from the leftist Independent.

[irish guard]

If we truly do fight the last war as this guy suggests, then wouldn't logic dictate that we won't repeat Somolia?

Not to be a wise ass, just curious.....btw, I am NOT worried about this battle

[Amerigomag]

This Colonel's concern is valid but not unique.

I have long suspected the US will not engage in urban combat in downtown Baghdad.

If Awe and Shock does not percipitate a regime collapse we will lay siege to Baghdad and seek international cooperation to resolve the city's fate.

Our immediate goal is to secure Iraq's resources, percipitate the collapse of Saddam's government and liberate its non-Shiah population.

[Pukka Puck]

Colonel Turner is full of crap.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

A former military aide to General Norman Schwarzkopf has warned that a US-led war against Iraq could turn into a disaster that echoes the bloody debacle of Somalia rather than the relatively painless 1991 Gulf war.

Why wouldn't they just try to do what the Nazis tried at Leningrad. (The heroic Russian defense notwithstanding) Starve them out.

When you have the tactical advantage and can surround that city without letting so much as a flea get in...it certainly makes more sense than trying to take it by force. Good old siege warfare á la the Middle Ages.

[TennTuxedo]

Top US military planner

The guy is a former aide to "Stormin' Norman". Turner is not in on the planning of this operation and thus does not have any inclination as to the plan, the goals, or the implemetation of the schematics of this campaign. Therefore he is totally in the dark and knows not of which he speaks and should shut up.

[Enduring Freedom]

The new war will be called:

Desert Breeze.

The wind-swept panoramic desert evoking scenes from Lawrence of Arabia will be the order of the day.

The two-bit hustling lying Iraqis decrying this and that to Petey (I sleep with ugly terrorists) Jennings and Christiane (does my face look like a camel's ass?) Amanpour will be largely ignored.

The road trip's next stop: Iran.