To Mollify Iraqis, U.S. Plans to Ease Scope of Its Raids

[kskiska]

BAGHDAD, Iraq, Aug. 6 — The American military, in a major revision of strategy, has decided to limit the scope of its raids in Iraq after receiving warnings from Iraqi leaders that the raids were alienating the public, the top allied commander said today.

In its search for Baath Party operatives and other friends of the former government, the American military has carried out large sweeps, some of which have rounded up hundreds of Iraqis.

But Lt. Gen. Ricardo S. Sanchez, the chief commander of allied forces in Iraq, said in an interview that the military had virtually exhausted the gains from this approach and that continuing it could be counterproductive.

"It was a fact that I started to get multiple indicators that maybe our iron-fisted approach to the conduct of ops was beginning to alienate Iraqis," General Sanchez said, referring to military operations. "I started to get those sensings from multiple sources, all the way from the Governing Council down to average people."

more…
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/07/international/worldspecial/07RAID.html?hp

[pw]

1. "Beginning to alienate"

I wonder what it would be like if people were really annoyed.

[xray s]

2. Do you get the impression

we do not know WTF we are doing over there?

[lanlady]

6. yup, not a f****ing clue

Just making it up as we go along.

[NNN0LHI]

3. I was thinking today that they must be getting beyond counterproductive...

...when I seen that CENTCOM was bragging about picking up an uncle to the brother of a former body guard of Saddam, or something like that. I though man. What card is this fellow?

Don

[qanda]

4. Probably the "skip" card in the UNO deck nt

nt

[renegade000]

7. the postman in old maid?

:shrug:

[grytpype]

5. But easing the scope of the raids will give rebels more room to operate.

There is no way to win in Iraq. Every choice is bad. Thanks, Duhbya.

[pfitz59]

8. Good cop...bad cop!

Who will it be today?