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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group

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To: stockman_scott who wrote (86315)	3/25/2003 10:51:52 PM
From: Sun Tzu	Read Replies (1) of 281500

This is along the lines of what I have been thinking albeit a little incomplete. I think US strategy is to get rid of Saddam ASAP. This means "capturing" Baghdad is not a primary goal. The primary goal is to have sufficient foothold into the city to be able to sufficiently support special forces to kill Saddam and his government members. The hope is that showing off Saddam's dead body will collapse the resolve of his supporters. Saddam's strategy is of course the opposite. He is going to do everything in his power to accomplish two goals: to stay alive; and to force US troops to cause as much civilian casualties as possible. If the US ends up leaving cities without water and supplies, if we end up causing the deaths of a large number of civilians, if ultimately our actions change the Iraqi resentment into hatred, then we have failed. Saying that Saddam was at fault for those casualties is not an acceptable excuse; of course he is! That is his goal. And so if he achieves it, he has won. In a way this is not an "engagement"; it is more like, you do your thing and I'll do mine and we'll see who comes ahead. ST

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