Iraqnaphobia

[theknife]

retired General Anthony Zinni...from 1997 to 2000, Zinni was the commander in chief of US Central Command, the job held by General Tommy R. Franks in the recent war, and by General Norman Schwarzkopf in the 1991 Gulf War. Early in this administration, Zinni was Bush's envoy to the Middle East peace process. As a consultant to the CIA, he retained his access to top-secret intelligence until shortly before the Iraq war began. in a speech before the Center for Defense Information on May 14, he just nails it:

"The strategy was flawed. I couldn't believe what I was hearing about the benefits of this strategic move - that the road to Jerusalem (i.e., to an Israeli-Palestinian peace) led through Baghdad, when just the opposite is true ... (Or) the idea that we will walk in and be met with open arms ... The idea that strategically we will reform, reshape and change the Middle East by this action - we've changed it all right! All those that believed this (war) was going to be the catalyst for some kind of positive change ... didn't understand the region, the culture, the situation and the issues."

"We had to create a false rationale for going in to get public support ... The books were cooked, in my mind. The intelligence was not there ... The rationale that we faced an imminent threat, or a serious threat, was ridiculous."

"We underestimated the task. And I think those of us that knew that region, former commanders in chief ... beginning with General Schwarzkopf, have said you don't understand what you're getting into (in Iraq) ... I can't understand why there was an underestimation when you look at a country that has never known democracy, that has been in the condition it's been in, that has the natural fault lines that it has and the issues it has. And to look at the task of reconstructing this country, not only reconstructing it, but the idea of creating Jeffersonian democracy almost overnight, is almost ridiculous, in concept. ... We failed ... to internationalize the effort."

this guy is absolutely correct - it's too bad he didn't speak up before this all got started...


http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article....rticle_id=4670

[Heathcliff]

You give up your right to dissent when you become a repuke. They'd take it away from everybody else too if they weren't such chickenhawks.

[multi]

"The idea that strategically we will reform, reshape and change the Middle East by this action - we've changed it all right! All those that believed this (war) was going to be the catalyst for some kind of positive change ... didn't understand the region, the culture, the situation and the issues."


it sort of has a familiar ring to it...


edit:whats happend to all the conservatives?..we wont get any posts out of ramona unless they post some vitirol..