I have written about the same thing in many posts here and on another board. The vietnam part is dead on. As is the the media's role in both wars. The politicians are again trying to run a war where they have no business other than supplying the money and support needed by the troops.

By restricting our troops they are just making them targets and giving the enemy a base of operations. We can't enter certain zones to take out the militia hiding there. One similarity to vietnam was along the cambodian border where the NVA and VC would hide and snipe at us. We were not allowed to fire back across the border. After a few days and a number of casualties from these snipers our captain got fed up and ordered us to go after them. He almost got court marshalled for that. But the sniping was stopped.

If maliki wants US help and protection he better start giving our troops the right to take out all the militia where ever they are.

And no battle plan ever survived first contact with the enemy.