Marine Commander Relieved of Duties

LATimes -- A Marine regimental commander was replaced Friday after being accused of showing too much caution in his drive on Baghdad. The move by Maj. Gen. James Mattis, commander of the 1st Marine Division, was highly unusual, coming just two weeks into the war and while the Marines were in the midst of a charge that sent them into unexpectedly fierce fighting.

The switch was made with no formal announcement, but word was sent down the chain of command, causing some grumbling among enlisted Marines who questioned the timing. Dowdy had been a popular commander, in part because he had taken pains to protect his troops, sometimes at the expense of speed.

"I'm afraid this could mean more casualties," said one enlisted man, who asked that his name not be used.

It took several days for the reason to come out. There was speculation it was because he was too hard-charging and disregarded civilian casualties. It appears not.