[meenie]

The Germans were a civilized people. The Iraqis are not. With the number of troops we have and the tactics they are using, we are an irritating force instead of an occupying force. Too little, too late, with everything including the planning. Pace and Franks were the only planners with ground experience. Franks showed his intelligence by retiring immediately after we got to Baghdad. Pace is going for his thirty or he would probably be gone. Shock and awe has been replaced by awe shucks.

Any comparison between the German and Japanese occupations in relation to Iraq are completly misguided. They were severely damaged and wanted peace. The Iraqis employed the tactic of letting the military through and wait for an opportunity to hit them later. The events at Fallujah when the general showed up with three hundred of his followers showed they have a certain amount of organization left. It does not look like there any good alternatives left.

[Libertarianize the GOP]

Pessimistic aren't we. We don't have solve all of the problems before we let the Iraqis make most of the decisions on running their Country. By late Summer I expect things to be looking better.

[RobbyS]

You forget that there is not a single "Iraq" but actually several countries. I compare it with the old Austria in which one race eass dominate over several Slavis people, sharing power with the Magyars who dominated several others. Only the Sunni Arabs, who had exercised dominance in the country since the British created the state, have consistently resisted us.