Quote:
Originally Posted by steeljack
#1 Bush/Blair invaded Iraq and expected the population to sing Hosannas and in return got a blackeye, 3000 odd dead on the allies side and God knows many thousands of Iraqi women and children , the occupation of Iraq has turned into a complete disaster, apart from the original reasons (WMD etc) being shown to be a pack of lies, the idea that we brought freedom to the average Iraqi is a sick joke , 4 yrs later the average Iraqi is worse off now than at any time under Saddam Hussien, no electric/water etc.
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Actually, the majority of Iraqis were exceedingly glad to see the back end of Saddam and well disposed towards our military. Now they fear that we will leave before they are ready to stand alone.
For shame that this war has been politicized for gain by the chattering classes in Washington. Even worse that major media outlets have seen fit to cover it as they have. 24/7 mayhem in Baghdad. Thus perception becomes reality. Either way, they give the enemy a psychological victory. Iraq at large is not a disaster. There are many accounts, (including a recent Newsweek article), which detail the BOOMING Iraq economy. Such would not be possible without electricity, water and sewage treatment. Many Iraqis are enjoying these amenities for the first time in their lives.
Presidents and Prime Ministers don't have the luxury of hindsight. They do the best they can with the information available to them at the time. Every major intelligence agency in the world thought Saddam had WMD's. Republicans and Democrats alike believed it. Not that this was the only stated reason for taking Saddam out.
News flash.....civilians die in war zones - especially since this enemy hides behind them. In fact, they deliberately target civilians. The more the merrier. If the new template is going to be that we can never fight another war if even one woman or child is killed in the process, then Al-Zarqawi will posthumously be granted the distinction of having been a great military theoretician. Just kill! Anyone. Continuously. Murder on a horrendous scale. A simple path to victory opens up for any thuggish group or regime.