NYT: The Strategy to Secure Iraq Did Not Foresee a 2nd War

[kskiska]

Gen. Tommy R. Franks climbed out of a C-130 plane at the Baghdad airport on April 16, 2003, and pumped his fist into the air. American troops had pushed into the capital of liberated Iraq little more than a week before, and it was the war commander's first visit to the city.

Much of the Sunni Triangle was only sparsely patrolled, and Baghdad was still reeling from a spasm of looting. Apache attack helicopters prowled the skies as General Franks headed to the Abu Ghraib North Palace, a retreat for Saddam Hussein that now served as the military's headquarters.

Huddling in a drawing room with his top commanders, General Franks told them it was time to make plans to leave. Combat forces should be prepared to start pulling out within 60 days if all went as expected, he said. By September, the more than 140,000 troops in Iraq could be down to little more than a division, about 30,000 troops.

To help bring stability and allow the Americans to exit, President Bush had reviewed a plan the day before seeking four foreign divisions - including Arab and NATO troops - to take on peacekeeping duties.

As the Baghdad meeting drew to a close, the president in a teleconference congratulated the commanders on a job well done. Afterward, they posed for photos and puffed on victory cigars.

more…
http://nytimes.com/2004/10/19/international/19war.html?hp&ex=1098158400&en=9d3f7169463b6f23&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[Jacobin]

1. Well, that makes TWO dumbasses from Midland, Texas

I cannot believe that this man could rise to the rank of general and be so fucking stupid.

ANYONE who thought Iraqis would welcome invading infidels into their country is beyond stupid. They are fucking brain dead

[glitch]

2. Especially after they lost any chance for hearts and minds with shock and

awe and flagrant looting. Brain dead zombies.

[bemildred]

3. Yes, but this is only your "reality based" opinion.

The Neocons are making new realities for us all in Iraq now.
(One hopes it is a new reality without these ignorant fucks.)

[Ilsa]

4. you you you suskind fan, you! eom.

[drdtroit]

11. There is no limit to the arrogance of the

white man in hot pursuit of manifest destiny.

[leesa]

5. What second war? There has only been one illegal, unprovoked

invasion of a disarmed nation.

[Rose Siding]

6. This is so over the top

On Pg 2 Franks and Feith assert that they used an inadequate force in order "to catch the Iraqis by surprise" and to "prevent any efforts to sabotage the oil fields".

They went in admittedly light, to save the oil. The barbarians are really showing themselves now.

Of Rumsfeld...

"He had long been impatient with what he thought was a plodding, risk-averse and overly costly way of waging war."

Scary bastard.

[krkaufman]

7. Yes, this disaster was Rumsfeld's attempt to prove his theory.

Has his theory been tested? Sure. Were the results what he'd both predicted and expected? No, not at all. Will he be held accountable? It's a free country; people have the right to fuck-up and cause the deaths of thousands.

[Rose Siding]

9. Did that make me laugh? Sure!

Do I laugh every time I see this gag? You bet! Have I gone round the bend? Things happen; sanity is subjective and two more weeks.

[MisterP]

14. what's Rummy wanting? robot shock troops?

[Mandate My Ass]

8. apologetic claptrap - they fired anyone who raised doubts

about rose petals and marching bands.

This article pretends to be serious but it's written in the same passive "shit happened" style that they used after 9/11.

-the foreign troops never materialized

-the borders became porous

-the resistance came out of nowhere

-intelligence left troops unprepared

-the fighting was different than expected

Even if it was just faulty planning, which the author sort of hints at but doesn't say, it would be a fuckup of gargantuan proportions. Yet he lets everyone off the hook as if this was merely a picnic that got unluckily rained out. It was a waste of half an hour of my life to read this garbage.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

10. So they then spent the next 2 weeks meticulously planning....

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED PHOTO OP! Asshole scum.

[daleo]

12. The biggest mistake in military planning is supposed to be

Planning your strategy around how you hope your enemy will react.

[illuminaughty]

13. I hope all these idiots get someone to dumb down the Geneva Convention

rules in order for them to understand they are war criminals.