Polls show that most Americans think invading Iraq was a mistake. But was it the biggest war mistake in 2,014 years? That’s what military historian Martin van Creveld thinks, calling Iraq “the most foolish war since Emperor Augustus in 9 B.C sent his legions into Germany and lost them.”
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
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27 Comments
My vote for greatest military mistake in history goes to “Operation Barbarossa,’ Hitler’s invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941.
But in terms of U.S. history, this second Iraq War is without a doubt the biggest blunder. No contest.
Fools rush in where wise men never go.
Most blundered single battle in U.S. history may be general Mark Clark’s Italian campaign in WWII?
You know what’s funny?
Emperor Augustus was probably making public speeches about how “they pose a grave and gathering threat–we have to attack them over there before they attack us here.”
I’m just throwin a Texsas barbque and Saddam is the main course.
He did not like my daddy so I’m givin Saddam a balck eye – it was my mission since taking over the whit house. Just ask dept of Treasury Chairman Snow. How to start war with Iraq was the first thing on my agenda.
We are getting back at the 911 terriorists. Never mind that 15 of the 911 hijackers were from Saudia Arabia and none were from Iraq!
It is to stop the WMD weapons of mass destruction never mind I lied about them being in Iraq anf Iran is working hard to build all the nukes they can hide and North Korea keeps testing nukes out in the open!
No it is for freedom in Iraq. Never mind there are a dozen waring factions that will be conducting a civil war as soon as we declare peace. We need freedom for the poor people of Iraq. Never mind we have poor starving in America and Americans dying for freedom that will never happen over in Iraq.
We went in and did not know how to get out. Cheney and Haliburton are making me billions cleaning up and re-building what we take out. We call it operation “carry out”. We carry out the war and we carry out the profits.
Why do we have this war?
Choose one!
Dubya asks “Why do we have this war?”
Why? Because it’s good for Halliburton, and what’s good for Halliburton is good for America.
50,000 dead in a war that should never have happened.
Doesn’t that take the prize? The Kennedy/Johnson Vietnam debacle that wins the prize for the most foolish war? Never accomplished a thing, never helped build the infrastructure. Never removed a murdering dictator. Never did much of anything except kill young Americans in much, much, much larger numbers than Iraq.
Short memories, people? Seems the Dems have dirty hands as well.
I agree with Ray; Nam ranks right up there as well. The one reason Iraq might even be worse is that we have made enemies of numerous countries who now see us as a threat. Our ‘jihad’ against their religion is driving a wedge between us and countries who have been friendly to us in the past.
And what does that say for the GOP that willingly repeats the Dems mistakes?
Ben Huie,There’s no jihad against their religion. Where did you get that crap?
Ray–You are indeed correct about Dems and Vietnam. That’s why the yippees attacked the democratic convention in 68.
But what you conveniently forget is that one reason Johnson had to keep escalating was because the Reps were hounding him to fight harder.
Remember Barry Goldwater, Ray?
I don’t guess it does much good to point out that in Vietnam, we responded to a treaty that Ike put in place. Not to say it wasn’t a crappy war, but we at least had a legal reason to be there. Ike was a republican, wasn’t he? He signed the treaty that got us into Vietnam, so I guess there’s some republican responsibility, too.
On the other hand, there’s no reason to be in Iraq in the first place except to salve Bush’s bloated ego, and the fact that republicans just can’t be happy without somebody to hate and kill. It’s just the way they are.
Kennedy was about to have R.S. McNamara start troop withdrawel, and we all know what ended that great idea.Rent ‘The Fog Of War’ with Robert S. McNamara for some great insight into the pre-Johnson White House.If that’s not enough great info, read the bestseller ‘A Bright Shining Lie, John Paul Vann in Viet Nam’. One of the greatest books I’ve ever read, and the story parallels today’s scene in Iraq so much that it’s uncanny.
Can’t use napalm, sand don’t burn. Can’t use nukes, ruins the oil supply. Can’t use US military procedures, not fighting an organized military force. These guys don’t play fair. BushNam
Any country who intentionally gives sanctuary, money or training grounds to terrorists is on the shit list and may have to be dealt with eventually. Unless you all enjoy bombs in your malls and Muslims closing your liquor stores. The far left will be the first to feel the wrath of these zealots.
We’re making enemies faster than we can kill them.
Is codie the same person as hank/esod?Not on point but I can’t help but wonder.
Nah, codie is just talking to hear something rattle.
The history is kind of interesting. A Germanic barbarian named Herrmann (or Arminius in Latin) was allowed to serve in the legions. He became, over time, a “German nationalist” (for lack of a better term) based on his experiences in the Roman military. He went back to Germania to resist Roman occupation efforts.
Switch now to Rome. Augustus appointed Quintillius Varus, a guy of some influence but no military experience, as Rome’s rep in the area. Varus was more equipped to be a tax collector or minor official than the central administrative/military rep in the area.
Herrmann conned Varus into leading the legions into a boggy forest, where the legions’ organization and tactics were useless, and there the Germans fell upon them and slaughtered them.
So, we have a foreigner trained and equipped (to some degree) by Rome, who has taken an absolute dislike to his former employer. We have an appointed Roman official with no business being where he is. We have Rome trying to enter and subdue an area where she has very little support or understanding. We have a military disaster.
Kinda sounds a bit like a combination platter of training the mujahadeen in Afghanistan (including Osama) with a bit of hurricane Katrina’s administrative incompetence.
NoJoCo – I got that “crap” from George Bush. The term “Crusade” is English for “jihad”; Bush referred to our mission being a Crusade.
In fact, both the terms Crusade and jihad are often mis-used, in theory they both simply define ’struggle.’ However, as you are aware, the term Crusade has the same connotations in the Islamic world as does jihad in the western world.
and codie – I no more want Muslims shutting down your liquor store than I want Christians shutting down book stores. That is why we have separation of Church and State.
Damoon
“We’re making enemies faster than we can kill them.”
You’re making Karl Rove’s day, as in “I get to stay longer.”
Now say you’re sorry.
Codie–
You notice how you conservatives will defend the President’s war policies up to raising taxes to pay for it or actually fighting there yourself.
Hypocrisy, thy name is conservative.
BTW, Cootie, Saddam Hussein was fighting the same terrorists were fighting. They were trying to overthrow him too.
What? You didn’t hear that on Rush Limbaugh?
Galahad
He was down in the sound-proof cellar torturing somethings.
True Galahad, If I only had a dollar for every “chicken hawk” I know who supports the war but would never dream of sacrificing themselves or anyone they love.
Damoon. No dollar from me.
Galahad. “Saddam Hussein was fighting the same terrorists were fighting” Liar. How do you explain the terrorist camps? Just search on ‘727 terrorist’ for links, pictures, etc.Then quit lying.
Codie, there was no evidence of any terrorists training camps in Iraq before we invaded. Now they’re everywhere around the world (and most of all in Indonesa). The Bush administration did a great job of creating lots of enemies.
Codie, Have you ever served in military or are you in the service now?