Accounts out of Baghdad report a climate of fear and some civilian casualties, but power, water, and transport systems are still largely intact. The destruction of Baghdad's infrastructure and widespread civilian suffering won't begin until the US has abandoned initial efforts to scare the Iraqis into submission. Despite much feinting and manoeuvring by US and UK military forces, the main effort still seems to be political, aimed at persuading Iraqi generals and Baathist leaders to stage a coup against the Saddam Hussein circle or to defect to the invaders. If the US is frustrated, the likely ferocity of the ensuing assault against Baghdad will not leave anyone praising shock and awe as a "tremendous thing for civilization". Really!
----- Original Message ----- From: "Michael Pollak" <mpollak at panix.com> To: <lbo-talk at lists.panix.com> Sent: Saturday, March 22, 2003 11:26 PM Subject: Re: Support the Troops reduxe...
>
> On Sat, 22 Mar 2003, Chuck Grimes wrote:
>
> > I had a terrible thought yesterday. After lunch and watching the shock
> > and awe display (we dug up an old tv for the shop), I had this bad
> > feeling that Bush might win this very quickly, very cleanly, with very
> > few Iraqi casualties, that the Iraqis would welcome the troops into
> > Baghdad.
>
> Chuck, you can't wish for Iraqis to die. You'll hate yourself in the
> morning.
>
> If shock and awe works -- if everyone gives up and almost nobody dies --
> it will be a tremendous thing for civilization. It will mean war is be
> almost obsolete. If that's true, it's a wonderful thing.
>
>
>