Ahh psshhhaaawwwhhh :P

The amount of fatalities / critical injury resulting from those particular attacks are likely to be quite low. Especially on the tanks.These images are really not that bad.Seeing thousands of people charging against each other to be shot down into meat, as was the case with trench warfare, would have been exponentially more horrific. Although I did notice at one of them follwing the land-mine, gunfire opened up on one of the disabled vehicles.

People really need to get over the whole Horrors of War bit. War is ultimately fruiful and very often neccessary.(Anyone wants to debate with me on that one, fire ahead, I will win) For those who whinge and moan from their ivory tower about how the Rwandan Civil War was a terrible thing and that they can't believe the international community let happen,... should really examine the real causes for the war. Look at the global population growth figures and you'll see that war will be like a stroll in a park on a sunny afternoon compared to what's coming in a global context..

The reasons the Afghans were able to induce the Russians to withdraw was due to the level of funding they received from the US. The massive level of funding and stockpile of weapons is the only thing that enables these resistance groups to keep on fighting. All these are externally sourced and are not something that can be combatted on the ground.

The main function of the US army presence in Iraq now is to provide stability and protection for the fledgling government until they have trained and equiped the new Iraqi army to a sufficient level that enables them to protect the goevernment themselves. (Because that is the function of the army; to protect the government and enforce it's policy. No army exists to protect citizens.)

The other function is hearts and minds. To provide them with the idea that a better future is possibly there and this comes from developing the local economy. Once people have money and feel comfortable in their lifestyle and are optimistic about their prospects, they don't turn to militia grtoups. You can see this in most regions where there are resistance fighters. (even in Northen Ireland) For a lengthy period of time, it was in the best interest of militia groups to ensure that their power base was economically challenged. Violence, riots, killings and bombings all decrease investor confirdence and makes them put their money elsewhere. A number of prominent memebers may themselves become quite wealthy off the back of this. One of the primary driving factors of the peace process was that, economically, the lot of the power base in N.I was improving and more and more people sympathised less with the fighters on both sides. 

So let the US senate debate all they want, let Michael Moore whinge and moan all he wants, let the pople protest all they want... until a stable/growth economy is in place; with a modern army capable of protecting it, they can't pull out.

Oh and another thing... hmmm no I'd better not start about Bono etc now......got a bit carried away there with the whole "voice your opinion" bit. I'd better stop now and get back to work...