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| Iraq-Jordan |
| Belmont Club on Fallujah: "Retreat, Hell!" |
| 2004-05-01 |
| Posted by:Frank G |
| #9 Amen Frank. And his numbers show it, 500,000+ hits in less than 6 months! |
| Posted by: Mr. Davis 2004-05-01 6:42:06 PM |
| #8 he started out commenting on Little Green Footballs, but his analysis was so sensible and spot-on that he was encouraged to start Belmont. A good move, I'd say |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-05-01 5:39:28 PM |
| #7 Anyone know anything about Wretchard? His analysis is amazing. He must be former military and a military historian to boot. With regards to perception, if Fallujah is secured and quiet in a couple of months, no one will care or remember how it was done. If this approach gives the Iraqi's the honor they so desperately need, all the better. |
| Posted by: Remote Man 2004-05-01 5:07:52 PM |
| #6 I'd call it a deadlock. But even so this is going to be a long, very long war. We're going to lose the occasional skirmish and we must start thinking long term by enlarging the Army by 3 divisions + three Brigades. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-05-01 5:04:12 PM |
| #5 Practically speaking, when the "Iraqis are given control" of Fallujah, for every Iraqi, or between every Iraqi, will be one or two Marines. Sure, they'll let the Iraqis do the talking, and the searching. But let anything happen and the Iraqi will take a step backwards and the Marines will take two steps forwards. From that point on, every conflict will be called "Iraqi (or foreigner) on Iraqi". The bad guys will stop shooting at Marines and will only shoot at the Iraqis standing behind them. Or so will say the Iraqi spokesman on the scene later. Soon, the "insurgents" and "resistance" will be called "ordinary street criminals" by the Iraqis. And, as time passes, each day will see fewer and fewer Marines and more and more Iraqi military and police. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2004-05-01 2:48:37 PM |
| #4 As satisfying as the complete reduction of Fallujah would have been (I, for one, would have bombed it to rubble and then bounced the rubble for a few weeks), this seems to be right out of the Small Wars Manual and probably the most effective way to achieve the objective. The press is going to say whatever it thinks will help elect John Kerry no matter what happens on the ground, so is basically a nonfactor in decision making. Upside, the Fallujah Brigade doesn't have to be nice to the locals. |
| Posted by: RWV 2004-05-01 1:43:15 PM |
| #3 This has the traitorous stamp of the Soddy-subverted State Department on it. The advocates of negotiation and compromise know full well that acceptance of their position will give the terrorists a victory in the war of perception. |
| Posted by: Atomic Conspiracy 2004-05-01 12:13:38 PM |
| #2 Makes more sense than any report that the Marines are going back to Camp Peaceful. Not while jihadies are right there arrayed for battle. No I gotta think the battle ground is being reprepared for the next move. Jarheads, is there nothing they don't know? |
| Posted by: Lucky 2004-05-01 12:06:07 PM |
| #1 Im trying hard to believe this, even though my gut instinct tells me that Fallujah's been a disaster for us. I think that the Arab press, as well as our own (not that there's much difference), will trumpet this as a great victory for the "insurgents." Everything is perception, and a good part of the world is going to perceive that we've quit here, that we've been defeated. |
| Posted by: Infidel Bob 2004-05-01 11:37:34 AM |