I can't but to look at this thread as a rather desperate try to put false perspective on something which is obvious. Iraq is no Germany. Despite possible similarities, you have quite a different mentality there.
In Iraq you have bunch of poorly educated but determied guys armed with AK-47s and RPG-7s who are willing to fight. Of course it may feel better to pretend they are overpaid foreign mercenaries or Osama's agents, but I believe not. Those are Iraqi people. All their life they have been taught to fight, for generations - no matter of right or wrong. It is simply their tradition. Socialism might have brought some relief of old islamic traditions to Iraqi people, but in no way made them less willing to fight. Think of them as being "bored" without the enemy to fight. In their minds it is very simple to see US as the aggressor and they are fighting back. The US feels that every day and it ain't gonna get any better.
You can't be stubborn against them, because it is their way of thinking. The harder you push them, the harder they'll be coming back at you. You can't reason with them - they want you out. They can't do it against tanks and planes in the open field, so they've adapted. Typical guerilla attacks with relatively minor casualties, but constant and determined. The question is how many bodybags you need unil you realize it.
It is a totally different cultre than US or Germany. You can't buy them with TVs and Coca-Cola. Iran was a good example. Simply, they won't change their way of thinking overnight. Foreign soldiers walkign their streets with guns, speaking different languages aren't helping either.
Now add some imported Arab fanatics who undoubtedly exist, along with agents of Saddam, PLO and what not and the area is anything but "secure".
