Thursday, March 27, 2003

Chicago Tribune | The perils of decapitation
Across America, and on its airwaves, the back-and-forth works like this:

First speaker, solemn in tone: The war isn't going well at all. Iraqi citizens aren't welcoming U.S. and British soldiers. Nobody expected Saddam Hussein's Fedayeen fighters to be this stubborn. And as everyone can see, the Pentagon didn't send enough troops to sustain such long supply lines or hold the ground seized.

Second speaker, dismissive in tone: The war is going great guns. U.S. forces have rocketed some 200 miles toward Baghdad. The Fedayeen are just one of several vexing but ultimately conquerable booby traps Hussein has rigged. And as everyone can see, Iraq's vulnerability to air superiority marks this cruel regime a sure loser.

Nothing should ever stop this ongoing debate among public-spirited Americans, regardless of their views. But let's all make two admissions:

- How each of us felt about this war before it began largely dictates whether we're now eagerly playing the role of the first speaker or the second. If we're honest, who among us doesn't want his or her prewar prophecy fulfilled?

This conflict is all of one week old. It's not too early to analyze the daily triumphs and travails. But leaping from instant analysis to confident judgment about battle strategy or Iraqis' reactions or the war's duration falls somewhere between premature and naive.…
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-0303270211mar27,1,6068155.story?coll=chi%2Dnewsopinion%2Dhed

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