Originally posted by davidpt40
I support the war, but the unfortunate part is that thousands of Iraqi teenagers (soldiers) are going to die for Saddams insanity.
David - I share your sympathy, and it's a damned shame. That's why war IS a last resort, and a tragedy. As our own Duke of Wellington once said when surveying the battlefield from which he emerged victorious: "The next saddest thing to losing a battle is winning one".
I don't think the Iraqi teenagers will put up much of a fight. Last time, I recall hundreds of thousands (well, 170,000) being taken POW. (BTW I never did hear what happened to them after the war) The news was full of TV pictures of Iraqi soldiers emerging from dug in positions with their hands on their heads. They had no idea of the kind of weaponry that we had. On a small island in the region, a tricycle was found which had a spear tied to it such that it pointed forward. Draw your own conclusions from that! Unfortunately for these gentlemen, the Americans had cluster bombs...
I always remember one pathetic scene in which a terrified young Iraqi soldier, on realising that the game was up, threw down any weapon he had, and in a flood of tears ran to an American serviceman, fell to his knees and kissed the American's boots. It was a moving scene, and one of those moments when one realised just what an amazinhunk Saddam is. He HAS to go.
I'm hoping there will be minimal loss of life on both sides. I still think that when the cards are all played and Baghdad is surrounded, it's possible Saddam could be taken out by his own people. We shall soon see.
