I don't think there was anything particularly wrong with the military planning - it was largely flawless, helped by the poor tactics of the Iraqi army of course.
The blame for the current problems rest partly with the Pentagon for basically being so completely useless and unrealistic at every stage of their reconstruction plans - even those that matter most like the oil reconstruction. I've got some funny tales to tell... There's no other word than 'incompetent' to describe them.
Secondly the 'gung-ho' attitude of US troops on the ground and the willingness to call in airstrikes in residential areas. It may be the American way to fight a war, but its no way to win the population over.
Just two random examples:
Quote:
Other independent organizations have estimated that 7,000 to 12,000 Iraqis have been killed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush declared an end to major combat operations.
Iraqis are aware of the casualties that are due to U.S. forces, and nearly everyone has a story to tell.
At al Kimdi Hospital, Dr. Mumtaz Jaber, a vascular surgeon, said that three months ago, his 3-year-old nephew, his sister and his brother-in-law were driving in Baghdad at about 9 p.m. when they saw an American checkpoint. His nephew was killed.
"They didn't stop fast enough. The Americans shot them immediately," Jaber
said. "This is how so many die."
At the Baghdad morgue, Dr. Quasis Hassan Salem said he saw a family of eight brought in: three women, three men and two children. They were sleeping on their roof last month because it was hot inside. A military helicopter shot at them and killed them: "I don't know why."
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These are not isolated incidents - I've spoken to ten Iraqi's now, including one member of the Iraqi government, one person helping set up a UN humanitarian scheme, a family in Baghdad and several more 'westernised' Iraqi's who've visited since the war. They all have the same stories to tell...
It's easy to dismiss them all as terrorists, or gloss over the numbers. But the reality is that the only losers here are the innocent Iraqi civilians and what's happening here is no better than what occurred under Saddam. If you're dead, you're still dead. Whether it was done under an authoritarian regime, or a foreign occupation trying to restore democracy it's all the same. And equally devastating for those left behind.
[ 01-12-2005, 09:17 PM: Message edited by: shamrock_uk ]