Maybe I'm just dense

...but why would the military want to brag about killing thousands of Iraqis in the heart of Baghdad?

Umm, wouldn't that mean you've killed a significant portion of civilians? doesn't that mean you are conducting a bloody fight in the most densely populated area of the country?

The Iraqi regime is just a pack of thieves, liars and thugs. There can be no doubt. We on the left have been saying this for YEARS. Long before Gulf War I, we were saying that Hussein was a criminal, butchering dictator. He should have gone years ago, not been catered to by the military-industrial complex.

Even so, is it so difficult to understand that the average Iraqi-in-the-street, no matter how much s/he may loathe Hussein, might not be exactly happy that the US has invaded? That's patriotism. You know, like the way the Republicans say anyone who dares to criticize Dubya in a time of war is a traitor? How come that holds in the US, but if it happens in Iraq it is just another example of the imposition of dictatorial rule?

Sauce for the goose and all that, y'know.

Anyway, I can hate my imposed leader and still love my country. I can think Dubya deserves to be deposed, and be willing to take up a rifle to kill someone who tries to invade. Why is it so difficult to see that the same applies to the average Iraqi?

So, why are we bragging about killing people, some of whom are loyalists to Hussein, some of whom are patriots repelling an invading force, and some of whom just were in the wrong place at the wrong time and got killed? I should think we would be glad for our defeat of Hussein's special forces, but should be sorrowed at the rest. No. We just crow about the body counts.

Where else did we brag about high body counts? Are we counting the US & Kurdish soldiers one of our yahoo "Top Guns" killed up in Northern Iraq? I mean, they're dead - why not count them?

We've won the war, folks. It is *over*. What is left is the mop-up in Baghdad. There is no more Iraqi army to speak of. There are some isolated units that will be targeted and wiped out. This went even faster than Gulf War I. Of course, we've been starving and harassing the nation for the last ten years, and we made sure that the chemical and bio weapons were destroyed before we went in, and they have never rebuilt from the last war. I should fucking hope we would win this in short order.

Now we only have the rise of a new pan-Arabism to deal with, the rise of Islamic militant activity, and continued destabilization of Asia Minor. Cheney & Bush-baby think they are going to roll into Syria and Iran, I believe. Iran, which has the only democratically elected government in the region. Sigh.

Anybody checked in on how the US-sponsored nation building in Afghanistan is going? No? Really? Gee, I'm so surprised.

Ang