It is time to stop trying to win hearts and minds. It is too late. They hate us (rightfully) and a few new clinics or repainted schools is not going to change anybody’s mind over there.
Right now our troops are taking too many casualties, largely because we are trading small arms fire with lightly armed miltias. US policy seems to be to use the least amount of force to achieve pacification. The lives of US service personel are too precious and world opinion is already tilted against us.
It is time to bring in heavy weapons. Collateral damage be damned. Call up the 155mm artillery, give the women and children an hour to get out, and then level the strongholds. If anybody in the CAS community needs any more practice, let them have a shot as well. Leave nothing but scorched earth. Kill them all and let God sort them out.
Or bug out as quick as possible. Maybe the UN will clean up our mess after us, if we are lucky. Otherwise the Iranians, Turks, and Syrians will divy up what is left of Iraq.
There is no in-between. We tried a namby-pamby half way approach in Viet Nam and we ended up cutting and running. If we are not going to “win” with overwhelming force, we are just needlessly risking our servicemen and women’s life.
Scott
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April 22, 2004 at 8:54 pm