U.S. Plans Year-End Drive to Take Iraqi Rebel Areas

[UpInArms]

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/19/international/middleeast/19strategy.html?hp

(free registration or try www.bugmenot.com)

BAGHDAD, Iraq, Sept. 18 - Faced with a growing insurgency and a January deadline for national elections, American commanders in Iraq say they are preparing operations to open up rebel-held areas, especially Falluja, the restive city west of Baghdad now under control of insurgents and Islamist groups.

A senior American commander said the military intended to take back Falluja and other rebel areas by year's end. The commander did not set a date for an offensive but said that much would depend on the availability of Iraqi military and police units, which would be sent to occupy the city once the Americans took it.

The American commander suggested that operations in Falluja could begin as early as November or December, the deadline the Americans have given themselves for restoring Iraqi government control across the country.

"We need to make a decision on when the cancer of Falluja is going to be cut out," the American commander said. "We would like to end December at local control across the country."

...more...

[wtmusic]

1. That "cancer" has spread throughout the body

local countrol by December, my ass. Not a chance.

Did these guys learn military strategy from a cereal box? :eyes:

[neverforget]

18. They learned strategy in Vietnam.....oh wait, they weren't there.

[Demeter]

23. The Symptoms of Insanity: Doing the Same Thing Over&Over

when it obviously failed every previous time it was attempted.

We are led by a madman, a history major who never studied the subject, a businessman who killed his companies, a governor who couldn't even govern himself, and a "president" who couldn't even get elected in a fair race.

Trouble is, there are too many fellow travelers: the duped, the ignorant, the hubris afflicted, and the greedy; who are going to vote for the madman.

[mhr]

2. The Sons Of More American Mothers Will Soon Perish And Yet The Moribund

Nation of idiots, imbeciles, fundies, and ultra wealthy shout with glee ... Bush, Bush, Bush!

We are a sick nation!

[tlcandie]

3. Mass bombings... massacres ....

Taking back... did they ever have it to begin with? :cry: Cancers... dying... corpses... :cry:

[The_Casual_Observer]

4. which would be sent to occupy the city once the Americans took it

Already been there, done that. They could just march right in again, just like in 2003. The resistance will simply fade away temporarily.

The US pretends that they are dealing with a standing army that wears uniforms and marches in straight lines like they do. They must either be stupid, or think we are stupid.

[AVID]

5. gwb blood drive FUCK w!!!

[DivinBreuvage]

6. The historical crystal ball suggests December 2004 = December 1944

When Hitler scraped together the last odds and ends of his depleted war machine in a desperate gamble to regain the strategic initiative in the west. This was the Ardennes Offensive, known to Americans as the Battle of the Bulge. Hitler fantasized that the attack would steamroll the Anglo-American forces, capture the critical Allied port of Antwerp, and so demoralize the British and American governments that they would sue for peace. The attack did catch the complacent Allied generals completely off guard and caused a lot of damage, but became bogged down by the fierce resistance of American soldiers and was shattered before it ever got near to Antwerp. The only result Hitler got from it was a singificantly weakened German army, and the Soviets came smashing through the eastern defenses that he had stripped.

Sometimes these things happen. Hitler himself invaded Russia on the very day that Napoleon had; not because he was deliberately trying to create a parallel, but because for some inexplicable reason history is often flukey and weird that way.

[Eye and Monkey]

7. Crystal Ball suggests that this headline will visit us year after year -

2004, 2005, 2006, 2007...Bring 'Em Home NOW.

[DivinBreuvage]

8. Well, not if it works out like the Ardennes Offensive. n/t

[Alabama68]

10. I agree with that. But W is crazier that Hitler was.

[agincourt]

11. I think its more

the Philippine campaign ,1898.

[DivinBreuvage]

17. One critical difference though... the Iraqis can actually fight back

and at the moment, it doesn't particularly look like they're losing.

[VolcanoJen]

9. KICK

:dem:

[leQ]

12. lets hope we don't see a repeat of what happened in jenin

you know israel's backing this and i see iran coming into play if this gets ugly.

[jmcgowanjm]

13. We tried Jenin in April. This is MenuB52 ala Kissinger/Nixon

The consequences of the defeat in Fallujah are very serious
and far reaching indeed. What happened then? To make
the picture crystal clear, let us consider the following:

• Is it possible that America overlooked the global
consequences of her unconditional withdrawal from
Fallujah?

• Did America withdraw while victory was still
possible?

• Did America, at the time of withdrawal, forget its
steadfast demands and unjust conditions that were put forth
to people of Fallujah before the attack started?

• Has America’s memory of her declaration to the whole
world that Fallujah will be made an example to deter others
been lost?

• Did America’s pre-attack calculations include the
most
unlikely outcome that it would suffer huge losses in human
lives and equipment and not end up controlling or occupying
the town?

The only way the US wins is Genocide. The Peace
of the Dead.

[bemildred]

15. Yup, B52s, other forms of "death from above".

And that let's you know just how bankrupt they are.

I actually think the Ardennes comparison above is not a
bad one, it does look like they are contemplating some
sort of desperate last gamble. Did you see the various
stories about body scavenging in the guard units to get
more bodies on the ground in Iraq?

[jmcgowanjm]

20. Yes, just read 1 that concluded with the coming draft

I've noted foreign sites guessing that an October
Surprise coming in order to mobilize for
attacks on Syria, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt. and
to guarantee Bush's reelection.

But, US Gen. in Iraq are waiting 'til after the 1st Tuesday
in Nov to "cut out the Cancer" in Iraq and are
thus arrayed in defensive formation to min. casualties.

Noting this ( and that Brits are floating
rumors of w/drawal),
that before the mobilization happens the
Resistance
attacks and occupies the "Green Zone".

Crazy stuff. Who knows.

[jmcgowanjm]

21. And here's a thread from leftchick on "Cutting out the Cancer"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x840319

[bemildred]

22. I consider that blather.

We've been hearing that sort of belligerent bullshit
for some time now, well practically since these blowhards
stole the White House, and they have uniformly failed to
"crush the enemy" or whatever, albeit they have managed to
blow a good deal of random shit up.

I do think keeping an eye on what happens along the airport
road and in the Green Zone is a good idea, and the next
six weeks seems critical.

That is quite a selection of reasons for the October surprise.

[bvar22]

14. The brutal subjugation....

...and extermination of Iraqi civilians and those who oppose the bush* War on the Iraqi People will begin immediately after November 2nd and will continue until only those Iraqis who agree to throw flowers at bush* are left alive.

If you don't agree that bush* speaks the word of god, then you are a terrorist!

[SOS]

16. Trying to understand the strategery...

Bomb cities from above until 11/2/04 to limit US deaths before election.
After Bush steals election, massive ground assaults on rebel cities, killing and maiming thousands of men, women and children.
Survivors get to vote for Bush/Negroponte approved candidates in January.
This'll work out just fine.
:eyes:

[tlcandie]

19. What you left out is that the deaths aren't reported while the

victories are! That is how you get the 'appearance' of winning or "mission accomplished"!

Oh, and kill all journalists in the area so that the truth is not told!