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Originally Posted by cthulu23
I guess large urban operations like the battle for Fallujah or our fight in Sadr city somehow don't qualify as major combat operations. That would probably come as a surprise to the infantry serving and dying there. Unfortunately, we'll be seeing more of these non-major non-combat operations in the near future.
Edit: look, I don't think Bush lied about this or anything, but is it really so impossible to think that he may have been overconfident and, ultimately, wrong? If he hadn't made the announcement in such a dramatic fashion it wouldn't be half the issue that it seems to be today. It just reeks of chutzpah.
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Feel free to ask them if they would consider the operations to be "major" in terms of numbers of troops, resources, and in relation to the first weeks of the invasion. Almost to a man I believe they will tell you no. Certainly they are and will continue to be dangerous and deaths will be caused by them but they are nowhere near the magnitude of the invasion force.
Was he overconfident? Absolutely. Is it something critically important to dissect? Absolutely not. It comes down to perception and the only reason the story has lived this long is the flightsuit and banner. They are wonderful Kodak moments that his opposition wants to get as much play out of as possible (just like the Republicans did with Dukakis).