We were not an occupying power in France during Normandy. That distinction belonged to the Nazis. On D-day + 1 we were the occupying power of miles of beach front and little else.

Comparing Fallujah to Normandy is just wrong on all fronts. The French were not battling us except in cases where they were conscripted by the Nazis at their peril to do otherwise. The french population was already won over by the Allies. I don't think we've achieved that in Iraq. As much as the idea might be repulsive to you, Iraq is much more like Vietnam than WWII Europe. There is no front, the enemy moves among the civilians at will. Guerilla warfare is the strategy of Iraqis not much different from the vietcong. The general population of Iraq isn't exactly celebrating in the streets even though we are providing all kinds of humanitarian aid. Iraq is a very dangerous place everywhere. WWII France was basically dangerous only on the front.

The point is we need to be very concerned with how we are viewed by Iraqis. If that means putting an Iraqi general on display, than by all means lets do it yesterday.