General: Saddam Fear Impairs Cooperation

[wtmusic]

These guys are f*cking out to lunch.

"Sanchez was repeatedly asked to elaborate on remarks attributed to Gen. John Abizaid, chief of the U.S. Central Command, that the military will use stern measures unless attacks against U.S. forces were curtailed. Abizaid spoke to tribal sheiks and mayors during the weekend."

"Hours after Abizaid's warning, U.S. jets dropped three 500-pound bombs near the city of Fallujah after three U.S. paratroopers were wounded in an ambush. On Friday, bombs were dropped on the outskirts of Tikrit, Saddam's hometown, after a U.S. helicopter was apparently downed, killing six soldiers."

Asked why the U.S. military was dropping bombs now, Sanchez said: "Because that is the combat power necessary to defeat the enemy and send a very clear signal that our intent is to defeat the former regime loyalists, the terrorists and those people that are attacking the coalition and the Iraqi people."

(why 'military intelligence' is an oxymoron)

"The most important message," he continued, "is that we are going to get pretty tough ... but we will do everything possible to minimize the impact on the people of the country."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20031112/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq&cid=540&ncid=716

[jpgray]

1. You know who wrecked our windmill? SNOWBALL!!!! (nt)

[eridani]

2. Taking Saddam down makes things worse, according to some.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1061703,00.html

What struck me most, though, was their intense commitment to their cause: the liberation of Iraq from its current occupiers. These were no "Ba'athist remnants". On the contrary, they blamed Saddam Hussein for bringing the Americans into Iraq. They went so far as to say the capture of Saddam by allied forces would sever the links between Saddam and the resistance movement once and for all. They defined themselves as nationalists. One said: "We do not want to see our country occupied by forces clearly pursuing their own interests, rather than being poised to return Iraq to the Iraqis."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1050860,00.html

One of the popular sayings I repeatedly heard in Baghdad, describing the relations between the US and Saddam's regime, is "Rah el sani', ija el ussta" - "gone is the apprentice, in comes the master."

http://www.gateway2china.com/community/messages/6396.html

While taking Saddam down may demoralize his followers, it would not necessarily dull the anger of these other parties. In fact, many Iraqis believe it would provoke them to stronger action. "Saddam's
being caught or killed isn't good for the Americans," says Marouf Sami Noori, brother-in-law of fugitive Taha Yassin Ramadan, Saddam's Vice President. "There are many people who would like to fight against the Americans, but if they fight now, they'll be considered Saddam's people. So the resistance will be stronger if Saddam is captured or killed."