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Originally Posted by RZetlin
Not predicted?
Before the invasion there was a lot of news debates about the consequences of invading Iraq. (Tension between the minority groups, street to street fighting, the increase of terrorism, etc.).
Maybe none of these issues weren't addressed about in America.
One reason other countries didn't want to invade Iraq is because they knew it was going to be a bloody mess to pick up after the invasion.
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Perhaps other countries saw the current mess coming, but we didn't. At this point in the occupation, the number of US troops in Iraq was supposed to be reduced to 115,000 (
http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news...g7VCY&refer=us). Instead, General Abizaid has asked to increase the number to about 140,000 (
http://www.cbn.com/CBNNews/News/040413c.asp). And we were FAR too optimistic about the transfer of political power. Remember that the US is supposed to hand control to a fully-functioning Iraqi government on June 30. Here are some quotes from a great New York Times article on the current situation from April 12, 2004:
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With less than three months before the American-led occupation force hands sovereignty to an Iraqi civilian government, the process for a political transition remains unclear. There are no firm plans yet for who the leaders will be on the transfer date of June 30.
"We can beat these guys, and we're proving our resolve," said one military officer. "But unless the political side keeps up, we'll have to do it again after July 1 and maybe in September and again next year and again and again."
Those officials and officers in Washington and the Middle East were equally critical of the emerging Iraqi leadership, and indeed of the Iraqi people, for not moving more forcefully to create a stable democracy after decades of dictatorship.
[L. Paul Bremer III, the American civilian administrator for Iraq] was queried on NBC about the timetable for the transfer of "the keys" to sovereignty on June 30, and was asked specifically to whom they would be turned over. He replied, "Well, that's a good question, and it's an important part of the ongoing crisis we have here now."
Mr. Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies: "Never, from the day we began the planning for this operation to today, have we been able to develop an effective method of communicating with the Iraqi people to explain to them how they could benefit or what we were trying to achieve."
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Ever hear the saying "look before you leap?"
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