Iraq's Tet Offensive

Interesting article. I was peeved when I started reading it but then Austin Bay got to the point that immediately leaped to my mind.

Their "ultimate Iraqi Tet" would feature simultaneous terror strikes in every major Iraqi city. These simultaneous strikes would inflict hideous civilian casualties with the goal of discrediting Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's and General David Petraeus' assessments that Iraqi internal security has improved. The terrorists would reduce Iraqi government buildings to rubble. Striking the Green Zone would be the media coup de grace, intentionally echoing North Vietnam's assault on the U.S. embassy in Saigon. Al Qaeda terrorists would also attack Shia shrines. Kidnapping or assassinating of senior Iraqi leaders would be another objective.

Actually executing a genuine Giap Tet-type offensive in Iraq, however, borders on fantasy. On a daily basis Iraq's assorted terrorist organizations and militia gangs want to cause such system-shaking, simultaneous carnage, but they don't because, well, they can't. A Giap Tet requires a level of coordination the terrorists have never exhibited because they simply don't have it. It requires internal Iraqi political support that the terror cadres and militias lack; fear is not a political program.

I have to agree with his suspicion that Al Qaeda will try something of that sort. The problem will be quieting the MSM and the Dems who will no doubt begin screeching that we've failed when it will be nothing more than a minor bump.

The other thing to realize is that the Military is likely watching for this and are doing the best that they can to be prepared to stave off any such attempt to derail the progress that has been seen.