Vice President Dick Cheney this week defended his statement a year ago that the Iraq insurgency was in its “last throes,” but he said the administration underestimated the strength of the insurgency. “I don’t think anybody anticipated the level of violence that we’ve encountered,” he said, adding that “we didn’t anticipate . . . the devastation that 30 years of Saddam’s rule had wrought, if you will, on the psychology of the Iraqi people.” But as The Washington Post noted, many defense and Middle East experts warned administration officials during the run-up to the war about potential obstacles ahead. For example, a group of specialists who met at the Army War College in December 2002, three months before the United States invaded Iraq, warned: “The possibility of the United States winning the war and losing the peace is real and serious,” and that “successful occupation will not occur unless the special circumstances of this unusual country” are heeded. Likewise, the Post reported, 70 national security experts and Middle East scholars issued a report before the invasion concluding that occupying Iraq “will be the most daunting and complex task the U.S. and the international community will have undertaken since the end of World War II.”
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
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37 Comments
But Cheney’s “think tank” had already made-up its mind that the “The Project for the New American Century” had meticulously “thunk” the whole thing through, and absolutely nothing, I mean nothing, could possibly go wrong. After all, these guys were the “smart guys” and nobody was going to pour “cold-water” on “The Project”…nobody; can’t hear ya, can’t hear ya, look, I got my fingers in my ears….see?
Besides, Rummy could handle Dummy and with Rice to make sure AIPAC was “on board” pulling congress by its brass nose-ring of “we got the pictures” and the “Swiss bank account numbers,” the “Project’s” money was assured until Iraq’s oil came gushing through Haliburton’s pipeline to Israel, it was…..”un zen Der verld.”
“So don’t try to confuse me with facts, because we know better, so that’s why, so there.”
Then a pathetic little woman comes along the road in Crawford Texas, starts moaning and bitchin to the cameria’s about her son dying for Israel’s war and PNAC….well Captian Ahab, sir, did you ever get that whale?
You just gotta give Cheney credit as the Neocon’s con-man.
Karl Rove’s “Staying the Course” has brought the Neocon ship to the Iraqi iceberg, and, although she’s going down by the bow, the old coot is still in there swinging.
Cheney told the Washington Post that Saddam did it. Not the US killing 300,000 Iraqis by bombing them day and night for nearly four years, no, it was Saddam whose cruelty that conditioned them to fight the invading force.
Cheney must be taking steroids.
He’s not “on the ropes” he on the floor looking up, telling the referee; it was a no-fairsey that put him there.
Give him credit, don’t go hunting with him, just give him credit for still having the cohonies to lie about his beloved “Project.”
I’d say the task is a bit more daunting than post war Europe, at least the Germans cared whether or not they lived.
I guess nobody really knows. You have so many people with different opinions on what will happen and how to deal with it. You just have to make a decision.
I remember before going to Afghanistan that they were figuring that the American troop causality rate, once the boots were on the ground, around 15,000 to 20,000. Because that is how many Soviets died in their war in the 80’s.
They were saying that Afghans were fierce fighters and no nothing but war and would stop at nothing to kill us.
We were willing to go in knowing that there would be casualties.
I wish there was a better way, but I still support the decision to go into Iraq.
Cheney lies and spins and lies and spins and lies and spins…..
No one anticipated? AAAFFFLLLAAACK!
Oh great, another round of “Why was your crystal ball so cloudy”?
No matter what happened, you would be able to find someone who predicted it. Of course, that would be who you should have listened to. Silly, Monday morning quarterbacking.
They finally found WMD’s!!!Look another bright shiny object!
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060622/wl_afp/uscongressiraqweaponschemical_060622103838;_ylt=AheIfOqtYeRHZusu_PuEJ2.s0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3b2NibDltBHNlYwM3MTY-
Yeah Julie, and this affront to our soldiers goes unreported.
http://stevegilliard.blogspot.com/
But hey, the republicans in congress have said clearly that they dont mind giving amnesty to iraqis who killed american soldiers.
amnesty for iraqis who butcher american soldiers = good
amnesty for mexicans = bad.
got it.
Cheney didn’t care then, and still doesn’t care how many dead bodies it takes to stay on the Project’s agenda.
That’s why Bush keeps parroting “Stay the Course.”
That’s why we’re still there and will continue to be there.
Cheney/Rumsfeld/Rice/Israel/ and the Neoconservatives are considering backing-off just enough to get though this upcoming election, then all hell will break loose.
The “Project for the New American Century” is the course, and if everybody in America loses his job, they don’t care.
They’ll throw you a bone or two to keep control, but 2008 the American dictatorship will be in place.
The measures being put into place now are to stop and control any organized resistance, which opposes the formation of that dictatorship.
Bushco isn’t tapping your phone looking for “terrorists,” that’s a farse. That’s for future use.
Remember Karl’s speech, which Bush read: “You’re either with us or against us” They’re talking about the Project and they’re busy putting in the first steps to control the internet, which they’re voting on right now.
The American People want to pull out of Iraq. The vote to stay in was 235 yea to 156 nea,
So you tell me why?
This is no theory, this is happening now.
glad you got it KFG ’cause I sure don’t.
Cheney and Rumsfeld were determined to invade Iraq long before 911, as part of their doctrine of asserting our overwhelming military might in the middle east. It never occurred to them that it could take more than a few weeks to take out Saddam and be done with the whole mess. In fact, they were convinced that, like Iraq I, they would be done and out of Iraq before anyone had time to raise the obvious constitutional questions.They say that generals are always fighting the last war. Cheney and Rumsfeld seem to have skipped over that one, and now find themselves fighting the one before last; you know, the one where we got bogged down and lost!
Jed
What constitution? The signing statements, written by lawyers, have eliminated that document.
That’s what sparked Bush to say: The Constitution is just a G-d piece of paper.
And: “I’m the decider.”
‘…No matter what happened, you would be able to find someone who predicted it. Of course, that would be who you should have listened to. Silly, Monday morning quarterbacking.”Posted by: outlander | June 22, 2006 at 08:35 AM
I disagree. It’s not silly.
The first critical mistake made in Iraq was the timing of the invasion. The timing of the invasion occurred before the coalition could be grown to the size required for success IF1) Controlling stockpiles of WMD and caches of weapons not massively destructive was a goal,–Many armchair quarterbacks saw this Sunday morning.2) Controlling the Syrian and Iranian borders was a goal,–Many armchair quarterbacks saw this Sunday morning.3) Nationbuilding an alien culture was a likely outcome.–Many armchair quarterbacks saw this Sunday morning.
LOTS of armchair quarterbacks, many of whom had served in the military or in government, were jumping up and down, arms waving, hollering themselves blue in February, 2003. Like Colin Powell, they were trying to warn the White House that they were about to make a big mistake IF they invaded without the UN or at least a sizable coalition. Everybody BUT the president knew that doing all of the above with the force committed was impossible.
President Bush chose to ignore them all.
He bet the success of the mission on the success of a lightning strike – and lost. Worse, he burnt bridges behind us, precluding any growth in our coalition. He believed that nationbuilding would not be a significant problem – and was wrong. He even encouraged the insurgency with his “bring it on.” By pure, blind-pig luck there were no WMD caches, and he failed to control the weapons caches that have killed so many people there since 2003.
He’s accountable for these mistakes, and more.
The poor decisions made by President Bush are the entire reason we’re where we are today. As long as Bush is president and controls American foreign policy, the way in which he arrived at them goes *straight* to the heart of the matter.
Here is the link that lists the 19 republican senators who support giving amnesty to iraqis who have killed american soldiers
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/06/21/MNGV6JHMQA1.DTL
KFG
Thanks, Ed
Outlander’s spin is getting desperate–”the cloudy crystal ball.”
How about, why did he say it if he didn’t know?
Why did he say there is “no doubt” that Saddam has WMD’s if he didn’t know.
To pretend like you know something when you don’t is lying, plain and simple.
KFG
The “Project”
http://www.newamericancentury.org/
Yeah Ed, and did you hear that PNAC is closing up shop? They say the “project” is complete… heheh
Word in the fever swamp is that it will just re=appear under a different “brand” name since the current PNAC brand is becoming both known and tarnished.
I had a link days ago, but lost it, so I will try to find it again.
Real patriot, it is only a lie when a democrat does it. When cheney claims he KNOWS where the wmd are, well, it’s just an honest mistake. You know, IOKIYAAR
WaPo broke the news that pnac is closing with a feeling of “goal accomplished”. hehehe
http://www.antiwar.com/lobe/?articleid=9132
and the PNAC little rascals gang’s next project? North America and mexican oil. Check out the CNAC post.
http://www.c2ore.com/
Damn, it sure is quiet on the right side of the blog today. Especially noticable since they have been so frisky this week, and especially yesterday.
Did they exhaust their troops in an all out blog assault this week, or have they just run out of nics for their one name, one shot proll posters?
Maybe because now, after their little coulter civility fest, it is back to all bad news all the time for them. They dont like to post during those times.
Sigh. I think they just ran out of nics for their three or four posters to use.
I see the senate just adopted “lie and die” as the republican strategy for the disaster in iraq. Why would they do such a thing, when a change in course is clearly what is required?
I guess you’d have to ask the rovester, not rummy, since this republican strategy was hatched in the political shop, not the military shop.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/22/washington/22capital.html
KFG, maybe you didn’t realize that WMD’s WERE FOUND!!!!!
All the repubs are hiding under their beds wetting themselves.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, XXX lays in a supply of plastic sheeting and duct tape.
heheheh XXX, I did see rick scrotum trumpeting that on fux news, but then, the U.S. DoD declared it NOT so.
Poor ricky. billy casey is gonna kick his uptight butt!
Well, XXX that “duct tape and plastic sheeting” guy is now the HEAD of FEMA. He is heck of a job brownie’s replacement, no?
http://thinkprogress.org/2006/06/21/dod-disavows-santorum
The link to little ricky’s little gaffe. He is giving the “gaffer in chief” a run for the title.
And just in case anyone like williams missed “The Dark Side” on Frontline, here is a link that will get you to the full video.
heheh. but ya hafta go to DU to get it….
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132×2691680
The government of the United States no longer represents the vast majority of the People of the United States and members of the House and Senate should be recalled and replaced immediately.
The President should leave his resignation of the desk in the oval office on his way out the door.
The Vice President should leave his resignation of the desk in the oval office on his way out the door.
Ed,
You are correct; our government is illegitimate and has outlived its’ usefulness. The more research I do into 9/11 the more it is apparent to me that the whole thing was a set up. The “terrorist attacks” have been used to justify the “patriot act”, the war in Iraq and the erosion of civil liberties. The whole thing was a set up from the get go, cheney’s lies about Saddam’s WMDS were a smoke screen.
V.L.R.B!!!
When Cheney’s lips are moving, he’s lying.
Profound. Worth the read.
http://powerofnarrative.blogspot.com/2006/06/desperately-seeking-salvation.html
“Meanwhile, back at the ranch, XXX lays in a supply of plastic sheeting and duct tape.
Posted by: XXX | June 22, 2006 at 11:47 AM”
And what the hell was this?
Not XXX.
Troll, get beneath me. Actually, just getting on your knees will probably do the trick! Thanks!
Rage, it actually was me…being sarcastic. Thanks for the vigilance, tho.
“Rage, it actually was me…being sarcastic.”
Oh, okay. I see that now!
“Thanks for the vigilance, tho.”
Anytime.
The money the RNAC has gained is already in the bank. Why would they worry about minute details like lives lost, insurgents, WMDs and all the other things?
Nothing matters to this administration except personal and crony financial gain. That’s the real “Mission Accomplished” in the Iraq war.
Like the WMD lies this administration lied about the supposed ease of the occupation that would follow the invasion. Many of us knew this would happen; we are the ones labeled “America-haters” by the Goose-stepping rightie wingnuts.
Hey Joe – with a quarter-million armed troops in the ARI and only a couple thousand ‘dead-enders’ (who have all been killed several times over) when can the ARI take over and our troops come home? Soon you say? In geologic terms?