Finally Fallujah

It's about time.

I haven't commeted on the war much, both because it makes me sick that so many of our troops are getting killed and because it was starting to resemble Groundhog Day. We threaten an offensive, the Sunnis claim they want to talk, al-Sistani steps in and says let's talk, and then we back down. And then a bunch of our boys get butchered again.

I've been reluctantly willing to give peace and negotiation a chance, but it's been clear for a long time that none of that is working, and that these "negotiations" are just used by the terrorists as chances to retreat, regroup, and rearm.

We just can't stop now. There can be no "pauses to let tribal leaders seek a compromise." That contradicts the entire premise of the Bush Doctrine now. Every time we fall for this ruse, we embolden them, and, oh, by the way, we also sacrifice thirty or forty brave soldiers, because that will the terrorist death toll that follows a few weeks later.

There can't be any let-up this time until Zarqawi is dead and the town is cleared of weapons and hidey-holes. I've been willing to defend Bush's muddle-through impulses before, but enough is enough.

I hope he realizes what effect it will have on our soldiers if we call off the offensive this time around. If I were a soldier, I think that would pretty much demolish my morale. Soldiers know they risk dying in battle, but they don't much like standing around waiting to die as unaware victims of terrorist bombings.

Bush and Alawi had better be serious this time.

posted by Ace at 01:40 PM

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