A Little Easier To Occupy From Air (U.S. Increase in Air Power Use Seen as Sign of Defeat)

[Hissyspit]

Source: Inter Press Service

A Little Easier to Occupy from the Air
Inter Press Service
By Ali al-Fadhily*

BAGHDAD, Jul 31 (IPS) - Many Iraqis believe the dramatic escalation in U.S. military use of air power is a sign of defeat for the occupation forces on the ground. U.S. Air Force and Navy aircraft dropped five times as many bombs in Iraq during the first six months of this year as over the first half of 2006, according to official information.

They dropped 437 bombs and missiles in Iraq in the first half of 2007, compared to 86 in the first half of 2006. This is also three times more than in the second half of 2006, according to Air Force data. The Air Force has also been expanding its air bases in Iraq and adding entire squadrons. It is now preparing to use a new robotic fighter known as the Reaper. The Reaper is a hunter-killer drone that can be operated by remote control from thousands of miles away.

"We find it strange that the big strategists of the U.S. military have actually failed in finding solutions on the ground and are now back to air raids that kill more civilians than militants," former Iraqi army brigadier-general Ahmed Issa told IPS. "On the other hand, they are giving away the land to local forces that they know are incapable of facing the militants, who will grab the first chance of U.S. withdrawal to bases to hit back and hold the ground again."

"Going back to air raids is an alarming sign of defeat," Salim Rahman, an Iraqi political analyst from Baghdad told IPS. "To bombard an area only means that it is in the hands of the enemy."

Read more: http://www.dahrjamailiraq.com/hard_news/archives/iraq/000619.php#more

[wtmusic]

1. Can't see blood from 6,000 ft. nt

[rodeodance]

2. It does cut down on US troop deaths---therefore politically necessary

[DavidDvorkin]

3. That's what the British did in Iraq

When control on the ground became more difficult.

Those bombings worked in the short run but not the long.

[coalition_unwilling]

9. And what we did in Vietnam and Southeast Asia after Tet '68 -n/t

[Demeter]

4. Whom the Gods Seek to Destroy, They Will First Make Mad

[Tom Joad]

5. U.S. military defeat in Iraq is a good thing. Wars of agression should never lead to

"victory".

[Tansy_Gold]

7. You'll be called a "traitor" by some for even suggesting that, but

I'm in your camp.

It's sort of like having a child who simply won't listen to the warnings; as painful as it is, you have to hope they'll get hurt doing whatever it is you've warned them against and then just hope they don't get hurt too badly.

The booooosh administration isn't a child, however. They need to be hurt, and hurt badly -- unfortunately, it's OUR children, and brothers, and sisters, and wives, and friends who will do the dying for them.

Tansy Gold, shaking her head because there is no painless way out of this disaster

[seriousstan]

8. How could "U.S. military defeat in Iraq is a good thing" be seen as traitorous?

Any more than say "They need to be hurt, and hurt badly". How could these 2 opinions be called anything but patriotic? :shrug:

[Bragi]

6. Good article on US air power here...

http://www.lewrockwell.com/margolis/margolis85.html

(By Eric Margolis, a very astute and knowledgeable foreign affairs reporter)

- B