Free Republic

WASHINGTON -- Operation Iraqi Freedom provided good news and bad news for advocates of strategic bombing. The good news is that our bombing was more accurate than it has ever been before. The bad news is that, dramatically increased bombing accuracy notwithstanding, strategic bombing once again failed to bring Saddam Hussein's regime to its knees. As was the case 12 years ago, victory required significant fighting on the ground. As with many other systems, in the immediate aftermath of the first Gulf War, the performance of cruise missiles like the Tomahawk was overrated. At the time, the U.S. military reported...

WASHINGTON, March 1 (UPI) -- It has been reported that American intelligence operatives have e-mailed Iraqi generals in the hope that some of them might turn on Saddam Hussein. Some in the government seem to believe that the upper echelons of the Iraqi army are filled with closet Jeffersonians, waiting for just the right time to put a bullet in Saddam Hussein's head so that they can lead Iraq down the path of true democracy. Some believe that Iraqi generals are a cynical lot who might be expected to turn on Saddam to be on the winning side. The U.S....

WASHINGTON, April 5 (UPI) -- On Saturday, an armored task force from the 3rd Infantry Division started south of Baghdad, pushed through the city and ended its journey at Baghdad International Airport, west of the capital. In the raid, the task force is believed to have killed about 1,000 Iraqi defenders. Apparently, most of those killed were members of the Special Republican Guard. American losses were one killed and six wounded. The results of this raid should not be taken as proof that the capture of Baghdad will be easy. It is, however, a strong indication that it won't be...