MSimon wrote:There is no disputing that the overall strategy was salvaged by a large infusion of blood, treasure, and time. I do believe, however, that it could have been done earlier and at far less cost in blood and treasure, and this is saying nothing of the political damage the initial screw up did to THIS country.
Wars are fought well only in retrospect and then only certain wars.
No plan survives contact with the enemy.
You are faced with the problem of decision making in the face of not only imperfect knowledge but also in the face of deception.
NO NO NO NO. This is not the case for the aftermath of Iraq. It was instantaneously obvious to me that it would be a horrible mistake to announce Bathists couldn't remain in the Government, and that the Entire Iraqi army would be disbanded. I started screaming at my radio when I first heard about it, and I could not believe the how completely stupid the idea was. The consequence was exactly what I predicted, and exactly as I told every one I worked with at the time.
We have precedent to rely on. The Way we handled Nazi officials after World War II was an example of how the process SHOULD be done. And Remember, we had a ten times favorable ratio of our troops to their population.
What I found utterly astonishing is that Officers attend War colleges where they study scenarios like this. I couldn't believe that every single major officer in Iraq did not object to this idea.
It is my recollection that we defeated the Iraqi Defenders in march, and we had a period of relative quiet for a couple of months. Bremer makes his announcement, then all hell breaks loose. If you will recall, serious attacks and resistance didn't start until AFTER the Bremer announcement. Anyone with a lick of sense could have seen that coming. You just put a million of the most dangerous men in Iraq out of work, and then make sure they understand they will never have a future until You leave, then guess what they will be motivated to do ?
On a Different note, Napoleon's Battle plans it was said, could not only survive contact with the enemy, but he could orchestrate the enemy troop movements as easily as his own. The Battle of Austerlitz is a prime example of this.
MSimon wrote:
Bush pulled our chestnuts out of the fire. Very difficult. And in the face of a hostile Congress and public. Excellent.
Yes, after obstinately waiting forever to see if the dumber of the two strategies was going to work eventually. A LOT of people noticed that the only way we were going to win this was to commit a great quantity more people to the fight. It is worth noting, that all of the Idiots (All Democrat Elected officials) were on the same side. Harry Reid Said the "War is Lost!" Barack Obama said the same. It is amazing that the people who were Absolutely wrong about this (and everything else they ever believed in.) are now burning up the clutch in the US Federal Government.
I blame the Media for their exclusion of factual reporting that makes liberals look like idiots, and for their inclusion of fabricated programing that makes conservatives look like idiots.
The Media is the lynchpin of power in this nation. They either Demonize or Glorify you, and the mindless masses follow accordingly.