response to that article by a friend of mine:
The Paris model is out. Thinking that the Iraqi troops and people (remember, the Allies were liberating Paris, the Coalition is attacking Baghdad. BIG difference) will just lie down and allow troops to take the city is naive and ignorant. And will cause the murder of thousands of American soldiers. This war is so unlike WW2 that it seems rediculous to try to compare the two. Think Mogadishu in Black Hawk Down. That is what the troops face. Every window and doorway and corner will be a place for Iraqi troops and civilians to hide in and shoot from. You're talking heavy civilian and troop casualties. It won't be pretty. It scares the hell out of me because these are very young men and women doing a job that they didn't choose and many will die for a war that, while necessary in one aspect, is a complete political bafflement. Think about this for a few minutes. In 1988, George Bush 1st (and Margaret Thatcher) promised supply and air support to the Kurds in the north and the Shi'ites in the south to attack Baghdad and take the country. The coup began and Bush (and Thatcher) pulled out of the deal. Thousands upon thousands were slaughtered by Hussein's Sunni troops. Outcome? Both the Kurds and the Shi'ites distrust and dislike Americans (and Brits) and each other. The Kurds hate the Turks, who hate them right back. Iran is a Shi'ite run country, hates Iraq, is very wealthy, and has already said that they will arm Iraqi Shi'ites. Iraq is extraordinarily oil rich and holds 1/3 the OPEC vote. At some point, Turkey will invade Iraqi Kurdistan. Huge war there. Once American troops take Baghdad (it will happen, no one doubts that), a huge amount of troops are going to have to occupy the place. The Shi'ites and the Kurds don't want Americans to control their country. What happens? Both start to move toward Baghdad to ensure that they have a say in the country. Outcome? Two groups that hate each other moving on an American controlled Baghdad with thousands of American troops sitting there like ducks. Scary, scary, scary. WW3? Does sound a lot like it, especially with Syria doing some crazy things. |
