and in a twist of fate... Europe might isolate the United States...

FU France!

"Europe might isolate the United States"

Rather the other way around, don't you think?

I'm reminded of that old British newspaper headline: "Fog in Channel; Continent Cut Off".

What about Tikrit? My understanding is that the northern city of Tikrit (where Saddam was born) is the fervently pro-Saddam-Baath party city in Iraq. Have we done anything there? Have we even bombed it? I haven't read one news story about Tikrit. If anyone has any news about what is being done there, perhaps they could reply to this comment. My guess is if we wanted to establish a national government now we'd have to isolate Baghdad AND Tikrit.

That should be "Seattle Post-Intelligencer."

I think this is a good strategy.

Firstly for the UN or other nations to be involved they will have to recognize the new government. this will force hands much sooner than expected.

It is actually an astute political tactic.

I also think from Saddam's strategy and tactics so far that we are in for a hellish experience if we just go into Baghdad in the next few days.

We take their airport and communication...no more contact with Saddam's government to the outside.

We take control of the borders as well, especially syrian and Turkish borders to keep out the trouble.

We know we are going to hear good news in the north, the Kurdish Peshmerga are tenacious and honorable fighters and were never on the fence.

We also bite off an chew away at a few area's on the outskirts of Baghdad to determine their tactics.

In the meantime we just say, "here is the new government, talk to them."

I think if this is a plan we are considering, it makes some sense.

I really do not wish to see our troops go into Baghdad today. I don't think saddam is brilliant, but I do think he can kill an aweful lot of our men and women in urban combat. we know the abrams can be taken out with their weapons at close quarters, and our apc's would be even worse off.