Iraq war, Baghdad

In late July, 2006, Rumsfeld upped the troop level in Iraq and sent troops into Baghdad from all over Iraq. But Operation Together Forward, failed by late October. Bush's January escalation is not new, it's just a double-strength version of Together Forward. Asia Times: Iran attack by April.

Vietnam: Learn from history. Or: War with Iran?

Negroponte

Iraq makes us less safe —CIA, FBI, DIA, etc.

The entire US intelligence community issued a secret National Intelligence Estimate in April. It said this about Iraq: a new generation of terrorists... breeding resentment of US and support for global jihad... fueling the spread of the jihadists... Nothing about the war making us safer. Published by Bush's top spook, Negroponte. They would never have said this if it were not true.

Republicans gaining an understanding of the war:
Senator Chuck Hagel The most dangerous foreign policy blunder in this country since Vietnam. Also Senators Brownback, Warner, Murkowski, Coleman, Smith, Voinovich, Collins, Specter, Graham, Sununu, and Snowe.

Iraq (Neocon) Mistakes

Bush claims "We're constantly changing tactics, but our strategy has not changed." But our strategies have changed about once a year. Initially they were: (1) Shock & Awe to frighten off any insurgency, and (2) Allow looting (except for the oil ministry) because Iraq would self-organize. This July's strategy, "Operation Forward Together," has just failed, and Bush is meeting his generals to discuss new strategies.

Dollar cost of the war: ### Free clock

The cost has increase in each fiscal year. In FY 2006, it was over $100B. This does not inculde things like veterans benefits, cost covered by the normal military budget, and future replacement of worn out equipment.

44,000 US casualties, 3000+ killed
The rate at which Americans are being killed in the fourth year of the war is up again. The Iraq war has lasted longer than World War II (as of 11/24/06). Strategic failures could be seen starting the day after Baghdad was captured when there was no plan to guard anything by the oil ministry.

Heads Mahdi militia

The resulting quagmire: an un-civil war

On August 8th, US and Iraqi troops attacked a Shiite death squad. The next day, Iraq's Shiite Prime Minister severely reprimanded the US military. Conservative and extremist Shiites control the Iraqi government as well as the two largest militias. These are stronger than Al Qaeda and other insurgents. Continue

Axis of Incompetence

Neocons planned the war before 9/11.

The neocons have been setting the course for this war ever since Cheney and Rumsfeld helped found PNAC in 1997. That's the neocon lobby that asked Clinton to attack Iraq, pushed the WMD excuse, pushed for the shock-and-awe campaign and inadequate troop strength—all before 9/11. After 9/11 they invented false Iraq-9/11 links and diverted us to Iraq when the real danger was in Pakistan.
When Bush says "stay the course," it is the neocon course he is talking about, and it continues to make America more vulnerable—not more secure.

Cheney, not Bush, got us into the war.

Cheney brought in the neocons, who lobbied for and even planned the war before 9/11. Which nine neocon blunders turned lightning victory into a quagmire? Read a conservative diagnosis and the confessions of a neocon defector.

http://zfacts.com/p/252.html | 01/18/12 07:16 GMT
Modified: Fri, 10 Sep 2010 18:49:46 GMT