Iraq -- a year later...
 

Remember, these are opinions...

Looking back with 20/20 hindsite one year later...

1) Our armed forces did a magnificent job. Well done!

2) We were misled and entered the war for the wrong reasons.

3) Terrorism is as bad or worse (given the past few days) and there were no WMD's discovered.

4) We executed the war exceptionally well and the aftermath exceptionally badly.

5) We are losing the support of much of the world community -- save Great Britain. Particularly in Europe. A lot of people think that we are a power hungry superpower (According to the Pugh Survey released just this week.) A substantial piece of the Iraqi population blames us for their post war problems. Which is not totally fair -- but is partly, due to number 4 above.

6) Now that we have committed so much, we must "stay the course" or Iraq will fall back into anarchy.

7) Sadaam is gone. That's good. Nobody has filled the vacuum. That's bad.

8) This will last a lot longer. Do we have the national willpower?

9) While the economy and employment will continue to be the main issues, this will be a huge factor in this year's elections.

Rambling thoughts on a Thursday morning, one year after war.

Re: Iraq -- a year later...
 

I think that state sponsors of terrorism took a huge blow. I don't see terrorism as being worse. I see it as us being more aware and being able to spot trouble more rapidly.

I think that men like Huntington who wrote about the clash of civilizations were right on.

I think that Europe is grasping for nothing and this is one of the last stages in that grasp.

I think that Bush and every other politician is a coward for refusing to confront the Saudis who were such a large reason for today's troubles. That is blood for oil at its best.

-Rudey

Al Qaeda is still executing terrorism, but not in the U.S.

1 year later, Libya folds to the American position. The premise that remaking the Middle East is possible, is stronger than it was a year ago, but still tenuous.

<flashback>
1946: How is Germany, 1 year later? How is Japan, 1 year later?
</flashback>

1 year later, we really don't know where we stand, just as we didn't know where we stood in 1946.

We will be there for years. As I see it, this was a war that was far more necessary than Grenada, Panama, Vietnam, and many others.

Re: Iraq -- a year later...
 

Nice to have a polite disagreement.

I stick to misled (it's more PC than "lied to"), and I think that Richard Clarke and other former administration people's contention that the Bush Administration were totally preoccupied with Iraq will prove true in the end. I also think that hindsite will show that the "proof" of WMD's was slanted purposely. If we are looking in the wrong place, that's a tragedy because we've now lost over 500 US Military lives because of that mistake. Which takes me back to the preoccupation argument above.

I absolutely agree that now that we've gone this far we can't just walk away from Iraq. I can't get the image out of my mind of the US helicopters evacuating people from the roof of the Saigon Embassy. Not the same situation at all, of course, but a time where we left a political vacuum that guaranteed victory for the other side.

I understand the Chamberlain comment, but I don't think it's really the same situation. Spain is fighting it's own battle with the Basques. The Spanish government simply was not in favor of the way we prosecuted the war -- without the UN or whomever. A lot of other governments felt the same way -- as did a fair percentage of their populations if you believe the surveys.

Finally, given the turmoil in the UK regarding the whole WMD Intelligence fiasco, I'm not sure I buy that other intelligence agencies believed in the whole WMD senario.

Anyway, I've been wrong before, and as I said in the beginning, these are only my opinions and certainly not presented as facts.

Very interesting observations, on both sides of "the arguement".

I would add is that the Berlin Airlift was what, 2-3 years after WWII ? - and look at them now.

Also, we are a generation of (here comes honeychile's most abused quote) people who expect microwave solutions to crockpot problems.

I can't get the image out of my mind of the US helicopters evacuating people from the roof of the Saigon Embassy. Not the same situation at all, of course, but a time where we left a political vacuum that guaranteed victory for the other side.

Nor can I forget the image of my father coming home from his deployment to Vietnam, and a protestor coming up and spitting in his face in the airport - he wasn't even home an hour, and that was his homecoming greeting...you can imagine the effect that had on a 3 year old boy at the time (me).

I understand the Chamberlain comment, but I don't think it's really the same situation. Spain is fighting it's own battle with the Basques. The Spanish government simply was not in favor of the way we prosecuted the war -- without the UN or whomever.

The Spanish situation was a government snafu of trying to lay blame on the Basques, when it looks as though it was al qaeda - I just hope the voters made their choice in anger over deception, and not in fear of further attacks - if it is the latter, then yes, they will follow Chamberlain's doctrine, which, if history is our guide - will only lead to further bloodshed and chaos. The former government in Spain was in favor of our prosecution, but obviously not the new administration.

This also happened to my (much) older brother. His best friend was killed in Viet Nam, and his mother still won't talk to my brother because he was against the War when he came home.

A truly black spot in the history of our country. I don't know about your dad, but many (most) of us in that era had little or no choice in terms of our military service, and the disrespect of those radical few who chose to act and react that way made a hard situation that much worse.

That kind of treatment of our military people was a national disgrace -- whether you were for or against the war.

French response to bombing in Madrid
 

Just a little levity in a serious thread.....

In light of the Madrid bombing, France has raised their terror alert level from "run" to "hide".

The only two higher levels in France are "surrender" and "collaboration."

:D :D :D :D :D :D


(From Cat Patch Humor)

Re: Iraq -- a year later...
 

Re: French response to bombing in Madrid
 

LOL! I also heard they are changing the national flag - removing the red and blue.

Re: Re: French response to bombing in Madrid
 

Now THAT is funny!

Like the threat levels, too!

ETA The F-16s are playing tonight. Six of the Twelve based at Buckley AFB (About 4-5 miles N. of us) just departed! When they use a South Departure, they climb out just a little East of our house. Boy, they're fun to watch.