Security expert says Iraq 'worse than Vietnam'

[sabra]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200611/s1798632.htm

Security expert says Iraq 'worse than Vietnam'

A security expert says he believes coalition forces face the prospect of defeat in Iraq with serious consequences.

Former soldier and military historian Robert O'Neill says it is likely the coalition will pull its troops out early.

In a speech to the Lowy Institute in Sydney tonight, Professor O'Neill, who served during the Vietnam War, described Iraq as "an even worse problem than Vietnam".

He says the coalition invaded Iraq with a flawed strategy, insufficient troops to do the job, and no policy in place for responding to the insurgency and chaos that would follow the toppling of Saddam Hussein.

"I don't think that our Government had any idea of the morass that is was about to set foot into," he said.

[DisgruntledVet]

1. I don't think

You would like the rest of what he said...

He says more troops should be sent to Iraq to deal with the situation, but with no public support for such a move it is more likely they will be withdrawn early.

[Javaman]

2. It's time to withdraw and let the UN and Arab League take over...

we have left nothing but a trail of destruction that will take generations to repair. The long we stay the more people we piss off.

[LynnTheDem]

3. Illegal invasions; the "supreme crime".

Choppers off the Green Zone roof, baby!

[Peace Patriot]

4. The rightwing set out to change our revulsion at unjust war--

they wanted to reverse the "lessons of Vietnam"--and teach us to become bloodthirsty, or callous to slaughter.

And they ended up creating, instead, the "lesson of Iraq" which is to never forget the "lessons of Vietnam"--and to renew our commitment to peace and diplomacy first, to war as a last resort, and to the abiding lesson of our emotions and our heart, that every human death by war is a tragedy, and--win or lose--a deep failure of the human spirit.