Dying for nothing

From an interesting WaPo frontpager about renewed criticism of the force size in Iraq.

A senior commander in Iraq, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, said that U.S. plans do not call for holding cleared areas. Rather he said, the "Battle of the Baghdad Belts," as some in the military call the new offensive, is a series of raids designed to reduce attacks on the capital and thus support the main effort, which is to improve the security of Baghdad's population.

I understand that leaving Iraqi forces in place for "the hold" is largely a fool's errand anyhow, but it least it carries the possibility of stabilizing areas.

If this statement is to be believed, we're asking US soldiers to clear a city house by house, block by block, in tough urban combat, only to re-cede that ground back to the very Sunnis we're fighting. (because it will take them so long to find a new house with a garage in which to put together car bombs.)