U.S. TO INSURGENTS: NO MORE MR. NICE GUY

According to this Washington Times article, the U.S. military will combine with Iraq troops in a major offensive to quiet Baghdad.

Briefing a small group of foreign reporters, three American colonels who are senior advisers to the Iraqi army and police in Baghdad said a command center overseeing the crackdown in the capital would be activated today. “The expectation is the plan will be implemented very soon thereafter,” a senior adviser to the 9th Iraqi army division said at a U.S. military base in Baghdad. It’s going to be an operation unlike anything this city has seen,” Col. Doug Heckman added. “It’s a multiple-order magnitude of difference, not just a 30 percent, I mean a couple hundred percent” larger than previous offensives.

One of the things that didn’t get alot of attention in President Bush’s surge speech was the announcement of new rules of engagement. I’d doubt that this offensive would be possible if the old rules of engagement were still in place. I’m not predicting victory yet but I have to think that this offensive has a better chance of succeeding than past offensives. I base that on Col. Heckman’s description of the offensive being “a couple hundred percent” larger offensive than previous offensives.