[nicollo]

Please, let's not call comments dumb.

The strategy was to take out the leadership during the first 48 hours (well documented and pretty obvious from events). Further, the plan was to rush up to Baghdad with the Iraqi army surrending 'en masse' and Shiite uprising occuring in the South. Iraqi regular and even Republican Guard were poised to surrender (we were chatting by cellphone afterall). The regime would collapse, and our armor would roll in to Baghdad virtually unopposed. Pentagon mouthpieces were all over the tube the last several weeks declaring the south would rise-up in rebellion and welcome the U.S. as liberators. Obviously, this isn't the way things have happened. The word for it is 'DEBACLE'.

Can't say "dumb"? OK. Can I call this "absurd"? (I'll find a more angular word for it if you'll allow me...)

Nobody-- nobody predicted this. It's only being used now as a criticism. Pile on, bud, but you'll have to climb over the backs of certain pensioned pressitutes. One bit of advice: don't inhale.

Btw, after all the criticism of the all-air campaign, how come we've got a division knocking on Baghdad's door? To kick it in after the room's been bashed up by the fly boys, perhaps?

[gov_bean_ counter]

No one who mattered ever said this was going to be quick. BTW, the 173rd today executed the largest air drop in years. Will establish northern front. Other air strips will constitute a closer staging area. Soon heavy equipment and more troops will be delivered to advanced staging areas. They will be fresh and ready. Longer supply lines will not be an issue.

[info_scout]

>>> Nobody-- nobody predicted this. It's only being used now as a criticism.

It's their (military strategists) freaking job to predict this, or more accurately to identify risks and assign confidence factors. Their obviously out of plan at this point.

[WOSG]

BTW, I for one am impressed by several things in this plan:

That it is *not* predictable.

1. Lots of predictions of 'shock and awe' yet actually bombing in baghdad is precision and not heavy.

2.ground war before air war - not predicted.

3. bypassed cities to move to baghdad.

4. fastest advance in history.

5. low casualty rate, despite many firefights.
A good sign we can hold our own on ground-to-ground combat.
THAT MORE THAN ANYTHING MEANS SADDAM IS TOAST - SOON.

6. We have successfully avoided civilian asualties - remember that Wes Clark killed a LOT MORE CIVILIANS than we are doing now. Will CNN probe him on this?? LOL.

7. we own the air. totally. we demolished air defense.
no shootdowns of aircraft, much better than GW1.
If we own the air. we own the countryside and everywhere except for heaily built up areas. which means WE SHAPE THE BATTLE FIELD, ANYWHERE.

mis-steps/ to fix:
1. lack of 4th ID in-country. We'll fix that real soon - he he he.

2. surrenders - lots of 'em. But the thing that hasnt happened is the division-level surrenders. that may have been more PSYOPS by us than anything else, to get saddam to distrust his own army. fedayeen is murdering even Iraqi civilians who dont help shoot at us, so he's got some fanatics sitting next to generals probably to make sure they dont cave to us.

3. propoganda. we need to get iraqi tv and radio off the air and silence saddam forever. In progress. stay tuned.