----- Original Message ----- From: "Gautam Mukunda" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Killer Bs Discussion" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, March 17, 2003 3:09 PM Subject: Re: Who is the sheriff?
> I worry about them too, of course. Heck, I'm one of > them. But the only way I see this working out well > for the US and the world is a quick, clean, and > overwhelming victory on the part of the United States > and its allies. You can guarantee that France and > Germany will pounce on every report of mistakes or > civilian casualties as a way of inflaming the Arab > world against the US, as will (of course) various > malefactors in the Arab/Islamic world. This only > works not just if we win (which is virtually > guaranteed) but win spectacularly and immediately. > Counting on a flawless military campaign is not > usually a winning bet. It's the skill and will and > courage of our men and women that will determine the > course of the 21st century, and the bar they will have > to clear is incredibly high. Given this assessment, it seems to me that we will need a bit of luck...unless the US has tricks up its sleeve that I can't begin to comprehend. Lets assume a reasonable worst case scenario for what we cannot control. The Republican guard decides to have a last ditch stand in Baghdad. It goes to ground, and locates in various buildings in Baghdad, say 50k strong spread through the streets of Baghdad. It uses children as runners for communications, and ambushes the US in such a manner that it is very difficult to separate civilians from the Republican Guard. The point will not be victory for Hussein, but to make the victory for the US as costly as possible. How can the US spectacularly and immediately win an urban war like this? Dan M. _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
