Article

2003-07-11 Iraq

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Steve 2003-07-11 10:31:25 AM|| || Front Page|| [6 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 I guess the upside is that it will be that many fewer Islamic radicals the US military has to kill later on.

That's a good idea. No use allowing U.S. forces to be the exclusive exterminators of Islamofascists. Spread the capability around amongst our acquaintances. :)

Posted by Bomb-a-rama 2003-7-11 11:27:02 AM|| 2003-7-11 11:27:02 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 Some of my fellow liberals think we went to war without a plan for the occupation. They are wrong.

The problem is that we went to war with TWO plans for the occupation. An army/State/CIA plan that was based on relying on a large allied/un peacekeeping force. And a Department of Defense plan based on using the Iraqi National Congress to quickly organize an Iraqi security force on the ground. The hawks vetoed the degree of UN concessions it would have taken to quickly get a big peacekeeping force - and the Powellite "moderates" vetoed relying on the INC. So we went in with only our troops (plus 12000 brits of course) and that was and is plainly less force then would be desirable (not that it dooms us to quagmire - we may have just enough troops to handle this if we get lucky - but it doesnt seem wise to count on that) Hopefully now the admin will move forward on BOTH the hawk/neo-con and the moderate/multilateralist agendas - IE BOTH more rapid empowerment of Iraqis and build up of Iraqi security forces using reliable Iraqis INCLUDING exiles to do the vetting - and ALSO going more multilateral - beyond the 8000 poles, danes, spanish and italians who are coming. Hopefully most NATO states will be willing to come in under NATO command, so we can avoid establishing a UN command there. If they wont, we will face the dilemma of needing to establish a UN command there (not desirable for a number of reasons) versus going on without any more help.

Posted by liberalhawk 2003-7-11 11:35:18 AM|| 2003-7-11 11:35:18 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 Saddam "might" still be alive. OBL is protein paste on the wall of some cave in Afghanistan.

Posted by Chuck 2003-7-11 2:26:51 PM|| [http://blog.simmins.org] 2003-7-11 2:26:51 PM|| Front Page Top

03:58 Berxwedan
19:20 Stephen
18:50 Paul
18:37 Phil B
17:45 Sharon
17:23 Cyber Sarge (VRWC California Chapter)
17:17 Mike N.
17:17 Zhang Fei
14:52 Laurence of the Rats
14:47 Fred
14:43 Secret Master
14:39 True German Ally
14:26 Chuck
14:24 Chuck
14:22 True German Ally
14:19 Chuck
14:13 Chuck
14:11 mojo
14:11 Domingo
14:11 Chuck
14:09 mojo
14:08 Tom
14:07 ColoradoConservative
14:02 Dishman