US Iraq Strategy Condemned by Think Tanks

[TexasLawyer]

From Al Jazeera

Thursday 23 December 2004, 3:30 Makka Time, 0:30 GMT

Two influential think tanks have roundly condemned US strategy in Iraq.

The Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIC) said on Wednesday that America is facing increasingly deadly attacks in Iraq because it has failed to honestly assess facts on the ground.

And in a report published on the same day, the Brussel's-based International Crisis Group said Iraqi hostility towards the US-led "occupation" means that Washington can no longer achieve its pre-war goals.

The CSIC report, prepared by senior fellow Anthony Cordesman, said administration spokesmen had appeared to live "in a fantasyland" when giving accounts of events in Iraq. Cordesman, a former Pentagon official who has made several trips to Iraq, said Iraqi spies are a serious threat to US operations and there is no evidence that the numbers of anti-US fighters is declining despite vigorous US and Iraq attacks. <more>

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/9D84012B-190C-4A59-B640-1DCE3FA385C5.htm

I guess FOX news won't be asking Anthony Cordesman to be one of their talking heads any time soon!

[knowbody0]

1. a think tank

novel idea for mesopotamia

[Boswells_Johnson]

2. Can't you just hear Ann Coulter

dismissing it. I swear to God it would surprise me if she started claiming that reality is a left-wing scam. Arrgh...she's a turd!

[cliss]

3. Interesting statement,

"Washington can no longer achieve its pre-war goals".

Now, I'm assuming Washington actually had 2 pre-war goals. One was the Publicly stated goal or "Phony Goal", and the other was the True Goal.

#1) Goal: Tell everyone we were looking for WMD's. We were sure they were hidden there and we marched in to find them. This was the Publicly stated goal.

#2) Our True Goal (it was actually 2 goals): to build permanent bases in Iraq and secure the oil. We want to have US troops there permanently, so we can keep an eye on the Middle East.

We needed to get our troops out of Saudi Arabia, because it was a huge Al-Qaida recruiting problem. We didn't necessarily want to "spend" all the Iraqi oil right away, just sit on it until the rest of the world becomes desperate and we're the Guy With The Goods.

With our True Goal, the situation in Iraq has become impossible. With each passing day, the insurgents are causing more and more damage.

Keep in mind that we're spending $5.8 billion dollars per month. The Iraqis are spending $580.00 per month. We lose 1 man, they lose 100. But they're patient. They are not under any time constraints, like Bush is. The clock is ticking here at home.

Americans want results, and they smell a loser. Their REAL goal is going up in smoke. There is NO WAY they will be able to have permanent bases in Iraq because the Iraqis will outlast us. They will NEVER allow us to be there permanently, and we will run out of money before them.

Also, Bush has planned to build the world's largest US embassy, right in Baghdad, with 3,000 employees. Just imagine that for a moment. With buildings getting blown up every day, cars loaded with suicide bombers.

Think: N-A-I-V-E.

[Dover]

4. Many associated with CSIC (like Brzezinski) spoke out against the plan

BEFORE we went into Iraq. Remember when all those people from Georgie's Dad's and other previous administrations came forward one by one prior to going into Iraq? Several are members of the CSIC think tank.

So it's not surprising that this same group is still condemning the Bushistas.

[juliagoolia]

5. Well who would have ever thought?

Duh.

Looks like a few think tanks would have been in order before the catastrophic success! What a group ideologue simpletons.

Anthony Cordesman, said administration spokesmen had appeared to live "in a fantasyland" when giving accounts of events in Iraq.

For the sake of humanity they should at least admit the error and ask for mercy, forgiveness, and loads of help!

[RedEarth]

6. Does anyone have the text of Cordesman's report?.....

sounds like it would be interesting to read. This entire mess was predicted long before Bush invaded Iraq....this Iraq issue is something that will haunt our country and the rest of the world for decades...so damn tragic.

[Tempest]

8. Link to reports

http://www.csis.org/

There's two reports and both are accessible on the home page.

[RedEarth]

9. Thanks for the link.....

should be an interesting report.

[Tempest]

7. RumsFAILed's words are used against Bush

"Washington has to realise - you occupy the Iraq you have, not the Iraq you might wish to have later," said Robert Malley, director of the IGC's Middle East/North Africa Programme.

[TahitiNut]

10. DUPLICATE

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1093133

[Moderator]

11. duplicate topic

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1093133