As reported by the Post, there's a healthy debate among troops of the US Army's 5th Calvary about what Najaf looks like:
"It's like Stalingrad," a senior 5th Cavalry officer said.
"Sarajevo," (Lt. Col. Jim) Rainey maintained.
"Beirut," a Marine commander said.
"Not Dresden," an Army field officer said while standing watch at a panorama of blackened, half-destroyed buildings a few dozen yards north of the glittering shrine. "Not enough fire."
Later in the article, there is a strong contender for the war's Most Ironic (or most Idiotic?) Statement, courtesy of Maj. Scott Jackson:
"The way you defeat an insurgency is by co-opting the population. You don't end an insurgency by leveling the city."posted by dack
I'm actually surprised that Maj. Jackson said what he said: the obvious.
If only the Pentagon could do that once in a while, too.
Posted by: Rougy on August 27, 2004 11:35 AMWe got no business being there in the first place. I'd be pissed as hell if Iraq invaded us and started shooting everything up. I'd be blowing up oil pipelines and setting roadside bombs, too. I think if we did our homework before we invaded another country, if we really studied their culture and learned how to communicate with them, that we might accomplish something. But we aint gonna do that (cause they're all rag-heads anyway), so everything we do over there will continue to be a cluster-fuck and it will remain a meat-grinder for lower class kids trying to climb out of poverty.
Posted by: jimp1947 on August 27, 2004 12:08 PMNajaf as it is now is a perfect visual metaphor for America's prestige in the world, and credibility in Iraq, due to this Administration's arrogant bungling.
Posted by: Michael on August 30, 2004 12:01 AMWhat, no reference to the famous 'we had to destroy it to save it' Vietnam-era rationalization? :)
Posted by: Derek on September 7, 2004 01:22 PM