CNN reports that a senior military official estimates that the Iraqi insurgency consists of 13,000 to 17,000 fighters and terrorists, with Baathists constituting the majority of troublemakers. The anonymous official put forward the estimate of just 500 foreigners fighting the U.S. and the Iraqi government, with another 1,000 terrorists working within al-Zarqawi's network. The bad news: the CNN report, if true, shows a larger network of insurgents than previously thought. The good news: the CNN piece contends that the U.S. military believes it has killed between 10,000-15,000 guerillas aiming to kill our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines, as well as Iraqi civilians, police, and servicemen. CNN details neither the source of the estimates, nor the rank of the official advancing these numbers.
Saddam should have been let on the ballot.
How can we trust CNN's figures if they cannot be independently verified? I'm not saying that CNN is lying... just that an independent news source should be able to verify the figures. What is CNN's source?
Well they are certainly doing a poor job of it. It is clear that the only way one can win a war when one is a guerilla fighter is to engage it's enemy in a pyrrhian war. So far the Insurgency has failed miserably in doing so.
The last time I recall the insurgency making a threat, that is when they vowed to bath the soil of Iraq in the blood of any who dared to vote. Maybe they are planning kind of a after-the-fact murder, because it hasn't happened yet.
"Saddam should have been let on the ballot."
He did win 100% of the vote in the previous election.
Daniel, I take umbridge to the fact of your constantly naming the armed forces of, soldiers, sailors,airmen, and Marines, with Marines being in caps, like it is the only worthy one. Marines are soldiers just like ARMY soldiers and without either one of them, this country wouldn't be as stout as it is today! I understand the pride thing but it almost feels like your looking down on the other branches of service? By the way, if I was a sailor, I would want my cot right below yours soldier!! HHOOOa!
I don't know if this report is true but even Rumsfeld said we didn't have the "metrics" to measure our success in the War on Terror. This is just further proof we don't really know who the enemy is until they decide to blow themselves up, and usually by then it's to late. The Bush Administration made a real blunder by throwing caution to the wind and deciding that an overthrow of the Ba'atth regime and a Shi'a dominated Iraq would somehow "drain the swamp of terrorism." If the insurgency is both a response to Americans occupying Iraq and the Sunni resentful of falling of their pedestal then our strategy to combat terrorism has gone far off the mark. Creating an insurgeny isn't fighting terrorism. Nation building isn't fighting terrorism. Elevating Sistani to supreme authority isn't fighting terrorism. Waving the flag and voting for Bush isn't fighting terrorism.
It's hard to imagine an Administration who has made foreign policy blunders than this one.
Maury,
Sorry about your jealousy but Marines and Marine are always capatilized as a proper title when discussing United States Marines. This has been the way for a very long time and will not change anytime soon. We fight like soldiers, talk like sailers and kick the crap out of both. We are green amphibious monsters bent on destroying the festering anti-americanism in the world. And yes we do look down on the other services, just ask Dan Flynn, he is Marine too.
Mike, somehow I don't believe you have the ability to look down on many people. You should be placed in the front line as a target with a reply like that. What makes you think your any tougher than anyone else? Is it because Marines gets a capital letter? I see that as weakness, not strength, tough guy. So go be a computer bully some where else. Kick the crap out of both!! Hahahah Bring it on brother, bring it on!
