I think the Marine commander on the ground, Lt. Gen. Conway, looked at the butcher bill the I MEF had paid so far (greater than 30% casualties, which historically means that a unit is no longer mission capable) and submitted a request for reinforcements along with his estimate of what a full assault on the city would mean. Remember, Fallujah has a population of 300,000. I think that he was told that there were no reinforcements, and that his estimates for US and Iraqi casualties in an assault were "unacceptable." At which point, he used his command discretion to cut his own deal with a former Iraqi general who's own peers describe as an opportunist.
So yeah, we lost at Fallujah. We did not do what we said we would do (find those responsible for the murder and mutilation of four US contract security guards, restore order, confiscate heavy weapons), and we turned the city over to troops who include some that had spent the past months killing and wounding Marines. More important, all Iraqis and the rest of the Arab street will view it that way, and will draw inspiration from the example.
Maybe some more "hazing" will bring them around.
*edit*
I also think that if this were not an election year, Lt. Gen. Conway would be removed, the deal with Gen. Saleh would be rescinded, and US forces would assault the city. |
