Maybe I should clarify my "fire and brimstone" theory. I'm not saying we go in and raze villages because of one incident or conduct a wholesale genocide of the Iraqi population. No Nazi tactics, but just a notch or two shy however. For instance, the town of Fallujah should have the population forcibly removed and relocated away from each other (after a thorough strip search). The town should then be leveled. This place is a bastion of resistance. Who gives a shit about Arab culture or them being offended, our guys are dying. To a lesser degree this can be accomplished throughout Iraq. Fallujah just happens to be a shining example, one where more extreme measures should be taken. Otherwise, a case by case basis.
Someone previously mentioned guns. You have one, you get shot. We find one in a search, you go to the Baghdad Hilton. And no, they don't have 2nd Amendment rights or a constitution, and they're not OUR fellow citizens. We're talking about protecting our troops whom I value far more than them.
The rules of engagement MUST either be totally done away with or loosened greatly. You think there's a threat? Take it out. Sort out the details later. Screw this "you must be fired on first" shit. Foreign trouble makers and Fedayeen remnants should be hung in public for all to see. I have no problem roughing up a few people who "didn't see a thing" but were standing right there when it happened. We must also use the "carrot" to entice a few people to squeal on their buddies, and reward them for doing so. A few visits in the middle of the night ain't a bad idea either.
As far as my reference to a boot on their neck, I'm talking about martial law 24/7, not just at night. You wanna take a shit? Better make sure we know about it.
NO protests allowed. Do so and we use FMJ to break it up, not rubber bullets. When they've EARNED the right to live peacefully it will be after they learn to act in a civil manner. Remember, we've already tried the nice approach with these ingrates.
To sum it up, we don't need to act in a homicidal and beastial manner. However, it may have to be something in that general direction to get our point across. We must reward when behavior warrants it and CRUSH when it is appropriate. Do we have the troop strength there now to crackdown? No. Beef it up. Do we have the intestinal fortitude to enforce the above plan? Only time will tell. I'm just sick and tired of seeing our troops getting killed daily and we must nip this HARD before it gets totally out of control.