AMERICAN SELF-INTEREST WOULD AVOID A BATTLE OF BAGHDAD | 2003-03-22
As I keep pointing out, if urban guerrillas hole up in Baghdad, what you should do is but off the water and wait. Why on earth would we slaughter our troops to fight street to street in Baghdad?
The only reason we would fight street to street in Baghdad is for the Iraqis. We will say that they need their capital city soon or we will say "We must finish the job" or some other ridiculous motto.
And, of course, there is always the battle-cry of slavery, "Ah, the CHILDREN!!!" If the guerrillas hold some Iraqi women and children no number of American lives would be too many to save them.
If we stick with self-interest, an interest in the lives of our own troops, as the Constitution tells us to, there will be no Battle of Baghdad.