[GAsux]

I don't know what all this bestiality talk is about.

Anyway, I'm happy that so far things have gone well. I am willing to bet that air strikes to this point have resulted very very small amounts of civilian damage. If they had, you can bet that Iraqi tv would be parading every bloody woman and child they could find.

I'm am pleasantly suprised that the administration has not pushed the bulk of the campaign yet. I think the administration fully understands where it sits in terms of public support right now. I actually support protesors because although I don't agree with their point of view, I believe that they will help to some degree keep the administration honest. If there were not so much anti war sentiment, I think the administration would have already unleashed the full force.

Instead I think they are still hoping that the psy-ops will work. That the threat of overwhelming force combined with the perception that Saddam is doomed will convince the bulk of the iraqi forces to lay down their arms. Perhaps I'm an idealist but I honestly believe that would be a best case scenario and I hope it happens.

However, I would not take the ease with which U.S. forces have moved to this point to be a sign of an unwillingness to fight on the Iraqi's part. There are obviously many in Iraq loyal to Saddam, particularly in the military. If there weren't, he would have been deposed long ago. I am confident that he has surrounded himself with those loyal forces, who are probably much more willing to fight for the regime than the poorly funded, unnourished conscripts charged with fighting in the countries outskirts.

The prospects of meeting a very determined and well placed force around Bahgdad is a very real possibility. I am hardly ready to celebrate some 24 hours into the tenative start of the campaign.