The US has the strongest military on Earth today, no question. However, things could be different today in Iraq than in 1991. For one thing, it seems Saddam may be capable of learning a thing or two, such as not facing our forces in the open desert like last time. Supposedly, he plans on putting his forces in cities and making us slug it out this time.

Urban warfare is about a tough as it gets. We have a hesitation about wholescale bombardment that would kill countless civilians, so the alternative is to send in ground forces. There are countless fighting positions in a city, especially after buildings start getting blown up and the rubble piles up in the streets.

While war movies are almost never an accurate reflection of history, a couple recent films do give a good perspective on what it's like to fight in a city. If you have not already seen them, watch "Enemy at the Gates" and "Blackhawk Down." The Russians complain that "Enemy at the Gates" isn't historically accurate and that may be true. However, it does show that urban warfare is especially brutal. "Blackhawk Down" is credited by some historians as being one of the most accurate movies made, but even that can't fully show how bad urban warfare gets. There are some good books about the subject out there, so you might want to read up on the Battle of Stalingrad for starters.

It's never a good idea to underestimate your opponent (nor is it productive to overestimate him, either). History offers several examples of ordinary people who've suffered under a repressive government who still fought fiercely against an invader. In WWII, you can see this in the millions of Soviet citizens who took up arms against the Nazis despite living under Stalin. In turn, millions of Germans fought to the death for their home country, especially when it was invaded, despite living under the Nazi repression. You can see it again and again through recent history, including those Somalis who fought so fiercely against us in 1993.

Would average Iraqis put up a real fight if (when) we invade? Odds are, yes, especially when the inevitable civilian casualties start piling up. They probably wouldn't be fighting for any love of Saddam just like most of those WWII soldiers didn't fight for the love of Stalin or Hitler. Instead, they'd see themselves as fighting for their homeland and loved ones. That's a strong motivator and something that has to be factored into the battle plans.

If and when it comes to taking out Saddam, perhaps there is some way to take him out with Special Forces troops, either with a sniper or by painting him with a laser target designator. This is far easier said than done because if there's anything Saddam is very smart about, it's knowing how to hide.