[VarlosZ]

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a. Failed to impose martial law in Iraq with orders to shoot-to-kill looters. In the Arab culture there is a proverb that says, "Better 100 years of tyranny than 1 day of chaos". Failing to to crack down on looters was a major error. Rock throwers should have been shot on sight. And the Arabs would have respected the Americans for doing so. Not all but most. Don't believe me, look at Syria under Assad and what he did at Hama, Syria. There is a reason why a 5% minority in Syrian rules the country and has the vast majority of support in that country. Assad understands the Arab culture. Bush does not....

e. Failed to stop the Iranians from sending arms to insurgents. One good bombing would have sent a message to Tehran to behave themselves.
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f. Failed to stop the Syrians from sending arms to insurgents. One good bombing would have sent a message to Damascus to behave themselves.

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Where does this conception of human nature come from? Since the inception of nationalism, when has it ever been the case that you can bomb/shoot members of a foreign culture and they would respond by rolling over and staying submissive?

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g. Being to responsive to allegations of abuse. Innocent marines were falsely charged with murder based on perjury from Iraqis.

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Probably. How many U.S. serviceman have committed crimes and been exonerated because of perjury from their comrades, or because everyone just looked the other way (and thus had no need to lie overtly)? Which number do you think is greater? I honestly don't know, but if given even odds, I know where my money would be.

But that doesn't really matter. The problem with your point is this: if you want the Iraqis to respect the rule of law in general, and the authority of their government and our occupation in particular, you have to make sure they are part of the process. You can't just reject their accusations and testimony out of hand because they're Arabs and might have a motive to lie.