Or, to say it another more harsh way... I don't want Iraqi civilians to needlessly die, but given the way things have gone with these fake surrenders and non-uniformed combattants, I would gladly trade 100 innocent Iraqi lives to get back one of our combat fatalities. At some point, this effort to spare civilian lives is adding an extreme amount of risk to our own troops' lives.

But, isn't this operation Iraqi Freedom, with the purpose of liberating those innocent Iraqis (presumably from their dictator, not their oil)?

The only way for Dubya's handlers to keep any resemblance of pretention that GWII is not a) oil grab, b) something to turn voter's attention from domestic problems and scandals, c) corporate wellfare for military industry and d) rehearsal for Wolfowitz&Co's empire building is keeping scrupulously to conservative rules of engagement, avoiding anything that looks like collateral damage and ramping up humanitarian aid quickly. And that will only work up to the point.

BTW, I was amused to see stocks tumbling on first sight of actual fighting and Coallition casualties on CNN. Did those people actually believe everything will be totally bloodless and finished over the weekend!?