RE: [A-List] Total casualties well above 9% - over 25, 000 - Editor and Publisher Nov 25, 2004

["Stan Goff" <sherrynstan@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

This is the crux of it.

Aside from geostrategy, one of the main goals of this invasion was to
'shock and awe' the world with a demonstration of US military
invincibility.  Instead, the rest of the world is now alert to the fact
that the mighty one bleeds.  In a system where the basis of power is a
monetary game of chicken and a military bluff, having the military bluff
called is more than a little significant.  Abazaid has been engaging in
loose talk about nuclear strikes... either an attempt to escalate the
bluff, or an expression of exasperation.