April 14, 2004
The Ratio, Revised
In a
previous post, I complained about the 700:70 kill ratio reported by Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt, USMC. It now appears that this number isn't the right ratio, and that our operations in Fallujah turned out better than I understood.
In reading The Happy Carpenter, I came across his recounting of a story run in the Moscow Times.
The Fallujah numbers, the ones I'm most interested in, are as follows: 600 al-Sadr forces killed; 1,000 wounded. United States KIA: 20.
Friends and neighbors, that's 30:1. That's fantastic. Good hunting, Marines! I am well pleased with these results, and I'm glad to see that our people are putting a grievous hurt on the al-Sadr forces. Of course, it would be a mistake copied from the 1960s and the example of Robert S. McNamara to focus solely upon the numbers game. However, when one needs a tidy box score to cheer about, such numbers will do nicely.
At the same time, I regret the loss of our people in battle, and I regret (well, sorta) the fact that the new Iraq requires the wasted lives of many young Iraqis who cling to an impossible and malignant ideal. There must be no Islamic Republic of Iraq, and we must ensure that no such polity comes about.
Forward for victory.
Posted by: Country Pundit at
11:32 PM
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I wish they would the guys finish the job in Fallujah. This delay works to the enemy's advantage.
Posted by: The Commissar at April 15, 2004 03:33 PM (VpkLq)
2
I tend to agree. I've been trying to figure out exactly what circumstances would make our leadership want to pull its punches in this scenario. If we're mopping up one of the major pains-in-the-aft, then why not finish the job? I imagine al-Sadr will be a problem for the rest of his miserable life, unless we shorten it for him.
Perhaps that's the thing. He makes a deal, gets some credibility for being a humble-to-his-superiors cleric, and then he has a car accident or something a few months down the road. Perfectly acceptable to me. That being said, I just can't support a policy that doesn't bring the hurt to this guy. Lots of people are dead and the reconstruction of Iraq has been delayed simply because he's got a jones for the Islamic Republic of Iraq, M. al-Sadr, proprietor. Of course, we can't let that happen.
Posted by: The Country Pundit at April 15, 2004 03:42 PM (QUo4+)
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