On Tue, 25 Mar 2003, Alexandre Fenelon wrote:
> As military defeat is impossible, it should at least led to a political
> defeat.
On that we are agreed.
> This means the USA must suffer heavy losses and be involved in a
> prolonged occupation in a hostile country. No other possible outcome
> will stop that bunch of Fundamentalists who took power in the USA.
In the first place, I'm afraid you underestimate how mad our madmen are. Long and bloody and a big mess wouldn't bother them a bit. As far as they are concerned it has a huge upside -- it would get them immediately into surrounding countries.
In the second place, you are wrong that they couldn't be defeated if they win the war cleanly. His father lost the election after a cleaner victory than this can ever be. And most importantly, they not only can lose the peace, they are going to lose the peace. Which will be more important than winning the war -- if we make it so.
It's the political battle that is decisive. The war won't win or lose the political battle for us by itself. No matter how it turns out.
Michael