Collateral damage  

Far be it from me to say US forces didn't actually need to fire missiles into a mosque today to defeat armed resisters in Falluja. From a tactical standpoint, urban warfare is about the messiest kind. The problem is that this is where we lose the "hearts and minds" of the larger Iraqi population. Destroying a mosque, no matter who's inside, is going to have psychic repercussions throughout the country, just like shutting down the Al Hawza newspaper did. If there's anywhere American blood is going to further the cause of Iraqi democracy, isn't it in defense of the institutions Iraqis hold dear?