The U.S. military will not blow Baghdad, a beautiful city filled with ancient treasures, to smithereens. There will not be door-to door fighting a la Stalingrad.
Saddam's outpost troops will be annhilated, his missile sites destroyed in the first three hours and the oil fields will be occupied. His railroads, highways, bridges and factories are already pinpointed and will be blown to bits. His puny air force will never get off the ground and the skies above Baghdad will be controlled.
Saddam's mighty legions and his Praetorian Guard will sit around the city playing pinochle by candlelight till the bottled water and camel Spam runs out. Agents provocateurs will be working via radio, pamphlets and rewards to undermine morale among the populace and provoke mass defections of Saddam's home defense troops.
At least, that's how I see it, with some variations here and there. Our President and his war advisors had to use daisy cutters in Afghanistan, but will use the stilleto in Baghdad.
It's a whole new world of warfare, and canny adults are now in charge.
Leni
Once we've occupied the oil fields, and start pumping oil and pocketing the profits, the cities become irrelevant.
We just provide that any women and children who want to leave may do so, and will be well cared for. Set up camps outside the city cooking large quantities of spicy food, and let the aroma empty the cities