- Jan 20, 2001
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Oh well . . . at least we can drop the pretense of trying to win hearts and minds
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. military has begun leveling houses and buildings used by suspected Iraqi guerrilla fighters in a new tactic which is part of a more aggressive strategy aimed at crushing the anti-American insurgency, Pentagon officials said Tuesday.
Pentagon officials stressed that in all cases, the U.S. has gone to "extraordinary means" to notify civilians that they need to evacuate the area before any attacks were carried out. And before any building was destroyed, nearby roads were closed to minimize the chance of unintended civilian casualties.
"Now there's no-holds-barred on what we use. We use what necessary capabilities and combat power that we need to use to go ahead and take the fight to the enemy and also minimize collateral damage."
Asked if the United States risked alienating the Iraqi population with such heavy-handed tactics, Swannack replied, "I like to remember what Viscount Slim said during the Burma Campaign. He said use a sledge hammer to crush a walnut, and that's exactly what we will do. We will use force overwhelming combat power when it's necessary."