From: Gene McAloon 

On Sun, 8 Feb 2004 08:36:54 -0500, "Mark Hessey"
 wrote:

>"Adam Flinton"  wrote:
Hopefully the next stage
>will be "borders & desert bases".
>
>Rather than "hopefully," that would be obviously. I'm not
following what you
>mean by "finally" in your subject either, it hasn't been a
very long time at
>all.
>

It has been a very long time indeed. The invasion phase ended last May. We
are now into February and the security phase of the war continues with no
sign of improvement. Withdrawing US troops to the outskirts of the city and
turning over
security to the locals will not help that situation. It may well make it worse.

Withdrawing from patrolling the streets under the present security
situation seems to be mostly a political decision. If no longer so visible,
US troops will
no longer be targets. If not targets, then the almost daily US casualty
figures should drop dramatically. In an election year, that would be good
news.

Just as the Bush dimwits thought US troops would be greeted as liberators,
so they now probably think that replacing them with locals will stop the
attacks. It will not. The Iraqi police will be seen as US lackeys, which in
fact they will be, and that will be reason enough to attack them as well. 
The only thing that will change is who will be suffering the casualties and
if it is Iraqis that won't get reported in the US media, which of course is
the point of the change in policy.

It will be quite a spectacle; US troops cowering in their secure bases,
while mayhem reigns in the streets of Baghdad. Of course the bases won't be
all that secure either. The mortar and grenade attacks will be frequent. 
Yet another failed policy.

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