Almost no hospital in Iraq has a generator (thanks to sanctions) but just about every hospital in Iraq has a supply of car batteries to serve as backup in power cuts - but they don't last long. :( </font>[/QUOTE]Well if the Saddam regime had spent what money it had since 91 on health and it's people instead of arms we would not be here having this argument ;)

But I was hoping that this thread could be saved the political debate as 95% of the other threads cover that quite adequately. This is a thread about the discussion of military tactics.

<font color= "cyan">How is Baghdad going to be taken and more importantly controlled? My sister spent a few years in the army (British [img]tongue.gif[/img] ) based in Northern Ireland during the late seventies at the height of the troubles and the few stories she has told me about that time are quite harrowing. Tho' the coalition may take control of a suburb and do a detailed search of each house, without doubt rifles, grenades and mortars would have been well hidden. Any patrol walking the streets will be an open target. The British forces have real life experience of this, but what about the U.S. troops? Will they be able to handle the pressure and the tactics? </font>

Well, U.S. troops have gone through extensive training in Israel, studying/learning the tactics that the Israelis use when doing house to house searches...going through walls rather than be seen walking down the streets, etc. Our higher ups seem to think that they have learned many useful tactics there and show a feeling of confidence in the men who have been trained.

I think the big question our military is facing right now is whether to isolate or infiltrate Baghdad...infiltration is necessary but if they isolate the city first and then infiltrate it through covert ops, they have a better chance of making progress and at the same time insuring the safety of the troops and civilians...the drawback is that it will take longer than just bursting in with guns blazing and I think we all know where that would lead...greater hatred on a world-wide scale toward this nation for trying to do something better for the Iraqis since the government officials of Baghdad are bound to (and expected to) sacrifice their citizens before they ever stand up and fight for themselves.