Reply #11: The N. Koreans aren't armed, neither are the Burmese.

[Dhalgren]

This is a similar problem that the US faced in Vietnam. The US said that it was fighting for the freedom of the South Vietnamese, but whenever a Vietnamese civilian acquired a gun, he or she shot at US soldiers; and the ARVN troops (as a whole, not individuals) could not stand against the enemy. The question for both of these situations is "Why?". Why won't the Iraqis (other than the insurgents) fight for themselves? Is it because the Iraqi people side more strongly with the insurgents?

As far as Saddam slaughtering Iraqis who rose up against him, that is true. But that slaughter was no worse (and maybe even not as bad) as the murder of Falujah. But that didn't quell the insurgency, it made it worse. Why didn't Saddam's murder of a large group of Shi'ite insurgents (who are the majority Iraqis) make their insurgency worse?