“I predict carpet bombing of Sadr City”

“…the Dresden treatment for Baghdad.”

That isn’t going to happen. Unless….

Jus in bello. Recommend a little light reading on the subject at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Just_war

b2

In particular, he talks about the potential pitfalls in the plan:

“The most immediate pitfall I see looming is that enemy has a headsup, and will attempt to melt away, using its advantage as an irregular native force to cache its weapons and stand on the street corner, whistling and acting normal, to bide its time.

This is why there must be provocations to draw them out. For starters, the beseiging and seizure of Moqtada al-Sadr and other criminal leaders, responsible for the murder of thousands. Relentless raids on their stronghold neighborhoods. ”

As the President said: “…and there were too many restrictions on the troops we did have…”

As long as Maliki can keep his promise to end the sectarian and political posturing, it gives our troops the flexibility to do the job the first time. Let’s abandon the P.C. bullshit and “bring it on”, to quote the President. If it works, I predict carpet bombing of Sadr City coming to a news report near you, very soon.

One can only hope…

However , that’s not feasible but I think the biggest weak point of the whole thing has to do with the fact it places a lot of faith in the Iraqi people. Their current track record does not really justify that faith. They are the weak point that can make this fail.

My own belief is that the Mahdai Army and others will read between the lines of what Malaki is saying and see it as code for “lay low and let me get the Americans to do our bidding against the Sunnis”. And they will lay low and wait-they know that time is on their side.

No matter what happens, the armed forces will need to get larger….I’ll beleive that when I see it.

Oh, yeah, if Moqtada is not to go, then we must. He is NOT part of the solution. Go hard. Scorched earth for Sadr City…

Otherwise, bring the troops home, and start to build the army and navy we are going to need the fight the coming world war. Doing anything halfway will result in a prolonged bloody war with indeterminate results.

The only moral alternative would be to spare the world the coming bloodshed, surrender now, and help the Islamics buid the Caliphate.

About those symbolic votes. I am truly not being partisan when I ask: Is there any better way to reassure the enemy that support for this push is extremely shaky; that our Iraq policy is teetering and one good hard blow might suffice to knock it over?