Heartened by the killing of Saddam Hussein's heirs, George Bush and his aides made a concerted effort last week to put an optimistic face on America's occupation of Iraq. Saddam himself is said to have narrowly escaped one of the increasingly confident raids devoted to his capture. Yet 50 Americans have been killed in combat since May 1st. American commanders say that the frequency of guerrilla attacks may be decreasing, partly because of their efforts to kill or catch the perpetrators. But the attacks have also become more sophisticated, with bombs and ambushes replacing pot-shots. The Americans hope that more and better tip-offs will help them to cut down the militancy. They are also trusting in their power to persuade ordinary Iraqis that they mean well, and thus, in Mao's formulation, deny the guerrilla fish a friendly sea to swim in. Working against this is the fact that, the more casualties the Americans suffer, the harder it is for them to present a friendly face to civilians.
展开▼
