response 66 of 122:

Jul 26 18:25 UTC 2003

Re #64: police actions in this country are condemned when the police just
go in shooting. The negotiated surrender is much favored. There is no
reason not to have held out for the surrender of the brothers. It can be
done even if those sought are shooting, without injury to those
surrounding the building. It has been done. We have too much of the SWAT
team mentality. 

There was much to be gained from capturing these miscreants and conducting
trials, if nothing else to demonstrate to the Iraqis that there is a brand
of justice that is not like Saddam's, and that we support that kind of
justice (We do, don't we? We don't seem to be demonstrating it very well).

And, Russ, you must be awfully self-absorbed to think that only your
opinion is of any value and the opinions of others call for personal
attacks and stupid name calling, and distortions of what others write. 
Where have I said "continued occupation of Iraq isn't worth the lives of
the troops we're losing"? What I think about that is that it was
undertaking the war itself that put our soldiers into harm's way but now
that we entered into that folly, we have no option but to work it out for
the best. That should not include lynching parties.