[Ranger]

This strategy makes some sense if you don't care a whit about your civilian population and wish to hide behind them or hold them hostage.

It makes good headlines and PR which is Saddam's first line of defense.

As to a military strategy, I'd equate it to a hunter setting a big bear trap on his front porch and then daring the bears to come and step in it.

[Stavka2]

Regardless of the population, urban warfare is always a good idea for the defender, it negates a lot of an enemies fire power, especially if you also hug his forces, forcing him to cancel fire missions for fear of destroying his own forces. Further, you slow him down in a position that is infinitly defensible, where booby traps and snipers can do what might otherwise take platoons of troops. If properly prepared, that is trenches, defensive and communication are prepared, a defense becomes that much easier. Even with heavy equipment, it is much easier to distroy it when firing down on unarmored or lightly armored turrets. It is also much easier to sticky bomb the tracks from the rubble...not to say that such a situation is unconquerable, but as a defender, especially with an inferior forces, that is where I'd be fighting.