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Mismanaged the Iraq occupation
[/ QUOTE ] Well, well, well! Isn't it funny and sad at the same time, how the conservatives and neo-conservatives who supported the invasion of Iraq now turn on their man? George W Bush delivered the invasion these folks were so gung-ho about and now that the inevitable mess is clear for all to see and can't be hidden under lies and misdirection, they whine "it's all Dubya's fault!"...
Well, I have news for you, Felix. That was a solid thumb-sucker of a post -- but the Prince of Darkness beat you to it, months ago...
Neocons turn on Bush for incompetence over Iraq war
Former hawks now say they wouldn't back Iraq war
Neo Culpa
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Failed to impose martial law in Iraq with orders to shoot-to-kill looters. Appointed that idiot General Garner to manage post war Iraq. Disbanding the Iraqi Army.
[/ QUOTE ]The looting took place
because of the American invasion and how it was carried out. Shooting the looters would have stopped the looting of essentials and alienated even earlier the population. Yes :
Disbanding the Army and the state institutions have been the root cause for the anarchy still prevailing in Iraq. That and ten years of stupid
sanctions were enough to severely undermine the Iraqi state infrastructure -- as intelligence forwarned thw White House.
But, on this very forum, there were jubilant posters who were adamant that Iraq should be "purged" from all the "Ba'ath fascists". Hey, payback is a bitch...
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Failed to install a temporary constitution to influence Iraq to a more secular constitution. In sales this is called the puppy dog close. You give your customer a puppy and hope they fall in love with it.
[/ QUOTE ] In this context, it is called poppycock. Iraq was without any serious secular political body that would, possibly, support a secular constitution. Why? Because the American invasion had marginalised and destroyed the
secular Ba'ath regime... My dear Felix, you CAN'T sell a puppy dog to dog haters. And you CAN'T sell a secular constitution to a Supreme Islamic Revolutionary Council. I thought the name would've been warning enough... [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]
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Failed to stop the Iranians ...[and] the Syrians ... from sending arms to insurgents. Failure to secure Iraqi ammo depots.
[/ QUOTE ]I have more news for you, Felix. The biggest source of weapons for the insurgents seems to be (and I hope you don't have heart problems)
the American ammunition given to the Iraqi state! Yes sir, this is what happens when you are a fool and an idiot and you don't know your friends from your enemies -- the people who serve your interests, aside from all rhetoric, and the people who oppose your interests, aside from all rhetoric. Isn't is amazing how much better the Saddam Hussein regime (and a crapload of billions of dollars LESS spent!) seems in retrospect??.. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]
Like the proverbial fool, the American zealots in charge of the war placed their faith --and the fate of Iraq-- in the hands of known
crooks, such as Ahmed Chalabi, of
religious fanatics such as the ..Shia militants whom they put in charge of ..internal security (well, they were opponents of Saddam, weren't they?? [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]), and of
incompetents such as ..well pretty much everybody involved in this mess from Rummie on down to the brass -- leave the soldiers out.
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Failure to get Turkey's cooperation to deploy the 4th ID in Turkey to attack iraq from the North. Being too responsive to allegations of abuse.
[/ QUOTE ] Even if Bush has been too harsh with the poor war criminals, what's that got to dom with mismanaging the war? I have news for you, Felix :
The war has been won! It's the peace that's at stake now -- and winning the peace means showing to the Iraqis that you are serious about installing a regime which is
secular and fair. A regime which, for example, punishes abuse. Lead by example, WTF.
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Failure to kill Sadr.
[/ QUOTE ] LOL.
You don't get it, do you? THERE'S NOBODY ELSE TO GET SUPPORT FROM EXCEPT THE SHIAS. And the Shias would be instantly alienated if Sadr was killed.
But I have one piece of good news for you, Felix: The only true sign of hope in Iraq right now is that
former insurgents, i.e. persons who have recently tortured, maimed and killed Americans (as well as Iraqis), are willing to talk with the American side! This is excellent news. Sheikhs ruling over
Sunni militias are discussing with American commanders ways to keep the
al Qaeda "nihilists" (as they call 'em) out of their areas. Or, better yet, snuff 'em out.
Have faith, Felix. One Ace is still in the deck. If you had been tracking the cards sharply enough, you'd know it too.
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