Occupying Forces Bogged Down in 'Bush's Vietnam'

[NNN0LHI]

http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=2746258

It was not supposed to be like this.

United States Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld predicted that triumphant coalition troops would be welcomed with flowers by a grateful Iraqi population once they ousted Saddam Hussein.

The initial military operation was, if anything, more successful than even Mr Rumsfeld hoped, with UK forces securing southern Iraq and the Americans bulldozing their way to the largely unopposed capture of Baghdad.

But since then the occupying forces have been bogged down in an increasingly bloody struggle with insurgent terrorists and Iraqi factions vying for power.

Last month the violence reach a new peak with bomb attacks on Shia pilgrims in Karbala and Baghdad which left more than 140 dead.

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[molly]

1. Here comes the draft

"A senior US officer told journalists in Washington that generals believe they have enough forces to handle the attacks, but want to know what is available if the situation deteriorates."

The situation deteriorates daily.

[chelsea0011]

2. Senator Levin says 10 year occupation possible

WhAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAt!

[molly]

3. Some people in this country think

that June 30th is the end - everything will be turned over and we will send our boys home - WRONG!!!

[KharmaTrain]

4. Honestly...What Upside Was There?

Besides all the accolades...I've never really seen a PNAC blueprint of what was to happen after Iraq becomes this grand "democracy" and the fundamentalist "Islamists" (anyone ever heard that word prior to 9/11??) were destroyed?

What was supposed to occur? Obviously Syria would crumble, the Saudis and Kuwaitis would reform 180 degrees and the Palestinians would move to Jordan and Israel would expand to its biblical borders. Did I miss something else here?

Seriously, what short-term objectives does this regime have that would be enough of a victory for this bull-headed cabal to actually start to withdraw American military forces? Any idea? Obviously it's not in the cards any time real soon.

Now we're seeing the trial spins to push for larger military forces in Iraq...which will then turn to the state of the military here and the need to increase those numbers...and here comes the draft. Even worse was the concept of a "specialized draft" of computer techs and aircraft types before the election.

[rock]

5. Just don't say "quagmire"

I have it on good authority that it's not a guagmire.