So how is the war going?

[HemlockGrey]

With the media appearing to focus on all the 'setbacks' recently, I'd like your opinion.

How well do you think the war is being managed?

[Vympel]

No plan survives first contact with the enemy. The media are morons with the long-sightedness of a fucking mole. Regardless, the decapitation attack at the start was a big fuckup, IMO. Gulf War 3 started off with a whimper. Shock and awe? Nothing came of it.

I am somewhat surprised by the Iraqi will to resist. You have thousands of regular troops fighting, when the common perception was they would surrender en masse

[Axis Kast]

The war is going very well.

American losses total somewhere around 50 killed and 14 taken prisoner while the British count (I believe) 16 to 20 losses of their own - mostly as a result of accidents. Hundreds have been wounded. This in return for hundreds – if not over a thousand – Iraqi soldiers dead, thousands wounded, and three thousand in custody.

We’re talking about the fastest-moving ground campaign in the history of warfare. While you or I might call it “unexpectedly expensive,” it doesn’t negate that we’re making a great deal of progress. Hussein’s command structure is crumbling outside of Baghdad; his major defenses are now largely in ruins; most Iraqi forces are rooted out within twenty-four hours; Coalition reinforcements are moving quickly into position in order to cordon off pockets of resistance behind-the-lines; few oil wells have begun to burn thus far, with optimistic estimates of recovery for those that have.

Am I personally surprised by the will of the Iraqis to fight? Yes, but that was willfull blindness on my part. I expected something, but it wasn't my troops being captured. Was that likely, thinking back on it now? Again, yes. But does this mean we're losing or will be unable to meet objectives? No.

[Durandal]

I'm surprised at the amount of resistance the Iraqis have put up thus far. It looks like the waves of surrendering troops happy to see Americans are over, and it'll be all fighting from here on in.

Let's be honest, though. Most Americans went into this thinking that the Iraqis didn't stand a chance at even touching one of our guys. I think that people are starting to realize that this is a real war, and there are going to be real consequences.

[Dahak]

The war is going very well.
most Iraqi forces are rooted out within twenty-four hours; Coalition reinforcements are moving quickly into position in order to cordon off pockets of resistance behind-the-lines;

Well, Umm Kasr and Basra took (or still take) longer than a mere 24 hours to "pacify"...

[Axis Kast]

At most, those sites take seventy-two hours to clear out. We're talking about the difference between "control" and "occupy." Overall, the thrust at Baghdad is still going very well.

I agree with Durandal. Many of us expected a less vigorous fight from the Iraqis, but that was unrealistic in the first place and our casualties are far from horrendous.

[Montcalm]

If what i heard is true i say good,small pocket of Iraqi opposition are firing at Saddam`s army in Basra.

[EmperorChrostas the Cruel]

Those who say this is taking too long, are either VERY ignorant of the way wars are fought, or watched too damn much MTV, and have the attention span of a housefly.

What, no action in the last 10 minutes? What the fuck is taking them so long?

This will be a matter of weeks, not days.
Then comes the "afterplay".

The LAST gulf war had WEEKS of preliminary are bombardment, prior to the ground assualt, which was limited in scope to kicking the Iraqs out of Kuwait.

If this takes less than 90 days, it is a new word record.

Does anyong remember when wars took YEARS?
And thousands died, not tens? Millions?

[TrailerParkJawa]

With the media appearing to focus on all the 'setbacks' recently, I'd like your opinion.

How well do you think the war is being managed?

I think sometimes the media might be a bit embarassed by giving the idea that the entire war will be easy or quick. They often report how well things are going before the Pentagon does and when things turn around, it is easier to blame the military than looking at their own reporting.

just my two cents.

I dont think the military is without blame I just think this time the press had an idea of how things were going to unfold and reported that before really seeing what happened.

[Montcalm]

Those who say this is taking too long, are either VERY ignorant of the way wars are fought, or watched too damn much MTV, and have the attention span of a housefly.

What, no action in the last 10 minutes? What the fuck is taking them so long?

This will be a matter of weeks, not days.
Then comes the "afterplay".

The LAST gulf war had WEEKS of preliminary are bombardment, prior to the ground assualt, which was limited in scope to kicking the Iraqs out of Kuwait.

If this takes less than 90 days, it is a new word record.

Does anyong remember when wars took YEARS?
And thousands died, not tens? Millions?

I guess when they watch a war movie since the movie last about two hours,they think thats the time war last in real life.

[Master of Ossus]

With the media appearing to focus on all the 'setbacks' recently, I'd like your opinion.

How well do you think the war is being managed?

I think it's going quite well, actually. Saddam Hussein may already be dead, but if he isn't then he's clearly not in charge of his forces in the field.

The Americans and British are pushing quite rapidly towards Baghdad, and in spite of the problems they've accomplished a great deal towards preparing for the final battles.

The Iraqi victories have all been highly localized, and the recent revolt in Basra against Iraqi forces, coupled with the Iraqi loss of coherency and their loss of the PR campaign has crippled their ability to win a staying contest. Moreover, most of the Iraqi divisions in the South crumbed without much of a fight, leaving only the elite Iraqi forces to fight on--exactly as the Americans and British planners had predicted.

[jegs2]

War is not a video game. The differences between the first war against Iraq and this one are countless, as are causes and effects, all of which have been tiresomely discussed. Once we cut off the head of the snake and demonstrate that head to the Iraqi people, resistance will inevitably crumble.