Belmont is optimistic about the current situations in both Najaf and Fallujah. Hope he's right but "perception is reality" and the perception widely held is that we are cowards, afraid to get into real combat with Muslims, and have no political will. Perception, which are always reflections of our inner persona, can be costly as hell in places like the stock market where we act on a daily basis. But when only later actions like voting are concerned they become very important.