More Fallujah Analysis

The Christian Science Monitor is offering analysis of Fallujah, stating that while US forces can bring military success there, political success depends on the participation of Iraqi forces. It then goes on to say that these Iraqi forces may not be up to snuff in cracking Fallujah, despite their recent success in Samarra. Fallujah, so it goes, is a tougher nut to crack. W. Thomas Smith, Jr. has been following these forces over at National Review Online. He believes that they performed admirably in Samarra, and also has anecdotal evidence of their proficiency and esprit de corps in other missions. I think it is very reasonable to expect that when the battle for Fallujah kicks off, a more or less proportional mix of Iraqi to US forces as was used in Samarra will be in place. I don't think that the Iraqi forces will be made up solely of Fallujah natives, as the Fallujah sheiks want. This is a bad idea in general and especially so given the failure of the Fallujah Brigade earlier in the year.