The U.S. campaign against terror has lasted six, long years. This global offensive spearheaded by President Bush had its triumphs and failures. Recently, a terror suspect wanted in the 83' bombing of a Marines barracks in Lebanon was killed by a car bomb. However, when thirty people in a wedding party were blown up in a missile attack, Operation Iraqi Freedom came under heavy scrutiny. Combatting a war against terrorists and guerrillas has involved fighting on multiple fronts. This complex war produced many difficulties for American combatants:

1) Inaccurate intelligence on enemy forces
2) Engagements in civilian locales
3) Lukewarm support from the local population
4) An over-aggressive pattern of retaliation by both sides, regardless of civilian casualties
5) Secretarian conflicts flaring up
6) The insurgents' abilities to recruit fighters
7) The failures of winning the hearts and minds of Afghan and Iraqi civilians

Al Qaeda and their foreign fighters believed they could win an "attrition" war against America. In addition, they've done a terrific job at staving off enormous battlefield losses. Similar to the Vietcong guerrillas, Al Qaeda and their allies used hit-and-run attacks, roadside bombings and ambushes to keep the overpowering, coalition forces off balance. Unfortunately, their delay tactics played with civilian lives. Over a million Iraqis died in four years. Most of these by insurgent reprisals and an instigated, religious war.

Also, Al Qaeda kept maintaining it represented "true Islam". Over time, it stressed only killing "infidels" who collaborated with the occupying coalition army. They've even took to using a former IRA (Irish Republican Army) strategy. During the 80s and 90s, IRA guerrillas in Northern Ireland warned civilians of bombing attacks. The group meant to injure or kill the occupying British soldiers and their security forces. Recently, Al Qaeda has done the same thing. They've refrained from incurring massive, civilian deaths from homicide and suicide bombings. The populace has begun swaying to their side. Especially, since U.S. forces killed nine Iraqis near Mosul a month ago.

As our military continued battling an elusive foe and public opinion, more Iraqi civilians buried noncombatants. A recent firefight killed a young boy outside Baqouba. The latest offensive has left a dozen or so Marines and scores of insurgents and Al Qaeda dead. Civilian casualties were still being tallied like an ongoing spreadsheet. For four years, war has been a business. And when a spreadsheet gets too full, it may be time to cut the losses.

Learn more about this author, Marcus Brooks.
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