White House Wins On Spying, Telecom Immunity
EllisDees sends in a Washington Post report that Senate Republicans have outmaneuvered Democrats, who withdrew a more stringent version of legislation to control the government's domestic surveillance program. The legislation that will go forward includes a grant of legal immunity to telecommunications companies that have assisted the program.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution
It all depends on how it is used. Air Force was definitely the decisive factor in completely eviscerating Saddam's army. In a civil war it would have a decisive role in reducing the other side to the status of militia/partisan/insurgent style resistance. What would happen past that point is up for debate. Note however that all of the current (barely effective) constraints on civilian casualties would likely be moot in a civil war where one side is on a "Mission from God" and has an ability to effect large scale aerial bombardment.