Another Iraqi City Falling To Insurgents

Falluja is far from the only trouble spot in Iraq. Now it's clear that the city of Ramadi is descending into chaos. And guess what? It's larger and more strategically important than Falluja, which Bush refused to quell by sending in troops months ago because he was afraid it would hurt his reelection chances. Nice, putting your own personal needs ahead of the safety of our troops and the vital mission in Iraq.

"Most of the military's resources are channeled into controlling a bomb-infested, four-and-a-half-mile stretch of road that runs through downtown and connects two bases. Insurgents pop out of alleyways, mosques and a crowded market and fire at marines at will, then disappear when the Americans give chase," says the NYT.

"Ramadi lies at the heart of rebellious Anbar Province and astride the major western supply route to Baghdad. The city, whose 400,000 residents have at best merely tolerated the foreign military presence, is seen as a crucial part of American efforts to plant a secular democracy in Iraq.

"But the disintegration of authority puts in jeopardy both the Bush administration's plan to stage nationwide elections by Jan. 31 and any sense of legitimacy such elections might have. It also complicates the American military's plans to invade Falluja, because of the close coordination between insurgents in the two cities."