Do we really need Baghdad to rebuild Iraq?

[seeker_two]

The strategy seems to be to capture Baghdad w/ as little damage as possible so they won't have to rebuild as much. However, in order to do this, a lot of urban fighting will occur--as well as a lot of US casualties.

Is Baghdad worth it? There are plenty of other cities in Iraq, and the only thing of value in Baghdad seems to be Saddam's palaces & the gov't buildings. Certainly we can rebuild the nation w/o them...

IMHO, I think we should surround the city, broadcast that we will level it w/i 48 hours, and give the civilians a chance to surrender & evacuate at specified checkpoints. Then, sometime before the 48 hours is up, begin dropping MOAB's & thermobaric bombs on the city until nothing is standing & nothing is moving. We can use this as a deterrent & an example to other nations as to our committment & military strength. And we can recover Saddam later (w/ the help of archaeologists...)

What do you think?...

 

[Salpalinja]

You win the war and lose the peace.

 

[DMK]

We can use this as a deterrent & an example to other nations as to our committment & military strength

That's exactly what I'd expect someone like Saddam to say. Flattening Baghdad kinda contrary to our reason for being over there wouldn't ya say?

 

[Sam Adams]

Levelling Bagdad isn't sound strategy, either militarily or politically. The morality of it sucks, too - it puts us on Hussein's level. The best thing to do is:

1) Surround the city and destroy all Iraqi forces on the outside. Let Saddam be the mayor of Bagdad. Bush and others in our government should repeat calls for "the mayor" to surrender, along with his remaining forces.

2) Drop leaflets on the city, indicating that "these could be bombs, but we're the good guys and don't do that." Offer food, etc. to anyone from the city who surrenders at the very few particular locations we name. Offer bagfuls of money to anyone who revolts against Hussein & Co., if they survive the war and can prove participation in such a revolt.

3) Offer $50-$100 million for anyone who delivers SH, alive or dead, and can prove that it is him (I'm sure that we or the Mossad has his DNA). Same regarding his degenerate sons and "Chemical Ali," though with lesser sums.

4) Wait for Saddam's "fedayeen" A-holes to begin shooting at those who try to surrender. Then do 2 things: First, go after them when they expose themselves and second, film it all and show the world (esp. the Arab world) who spawned Hussein.

5) Assemble a force of Kurds and Shiites to invade Bagdad if the siege doesn't work within a week. We can't allow the city's residents to starve (as would happen in a real siege), as we'll catch Hell throughout the world. We also don't want the casualties such a battle would cause, and it will do Iraq good in the long run to have its own citizens liberate the city.

The whole idea is that we remove SH and look good in the process. The former will be the REAL deterrent for other dictators, and the latter will make all of the "peace" protesters and certain surrender monkeys look like the @$$wipes that they are.

 

[NotQuiteSane]

only thing of value in Baghdad

You are aware of the arciological importance of the area? They don't call the area the cradle of civilization for nuttin

NQS

 

[10-Ring]

It's not the city per-say, but the power structure based there. If we can eliminate the regime w/o taking the city, great. But, Sadam & his merry men have found their corner to paint themselves into. Now, it's a question of when & how he's taken down.