On 01 May 2003 President Bush declared the end of major combat operations in Iraq. Since then American soldiers have continued to die by the hundreds with five more on Friday. By now, the total number of American troops killed has exceeded 1600, with several thousands maimed.
We aren't even counting the several tens of thousands of innocent Iraqis including women and children that have become that dreadful American term 'collateral damage', and the Iraqi survivors' loss of property, livelihood, decent lifestyle and human dignity as a tragic consequence of the American invasion and occupation of their oil-rich land.
But Bush and his political and military advisors, now out of desperation because of mounting American dead (thus increasing American public disenchantment wth the war) and dwindling allies' support, and exasperation with a decided lack of progress, are NOW switching to a softer line with the Sunnis.
Dawn Internet news reported the following:
Two years ago Mr Bush’s response was “Bring ‘em on”. But as casualties soared and the nascent Iraqi state reeled, the US reached out to the Ba’athists and Sunnis, encouraging, for example, the country’s new Shia and Kurdish rulers to scale back purges known as “de-Ba’athification”.
Korea, Vietnam, Somalia, now Iraq?
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