An interesting conversation

[Citizen James]

I had an interesting conversation with a vet from Iraq yesterday.  He had an interesting perspective, as one might imagine.   He stated that Farienheight 9/11 was misleading in some places (Iraq was far from peaceful - the passed many mass graves on their way into Bagdad), but dead on in others (the gross mismanagement of the occupation of Iraq.)  It was his opinion that they had been understaffed - that several international agencies warned the millitary about various places that needed to be secured, but they were unable to do so because they were shorthanded.  For example, in the looting several barrells with radioactive traces had been stolen (to be used for cooking is what I think he said), and they had to go door to door offering replacement barrells, so they could collect the health hazzard.

He felt that dismissing the Iraqi army was a big mistake (lots of people with guns suddenly out of work - is this really a good idea in an unstable nation?)   The army had an idea to put the people of Bagdad to work cleaning up and repairing - but the suits (which is how he refered to the civilian administators from washington) felt it sounded too much like 'socialism', and nixed the idea.    They also discontinued various safety net social progams, also in the name of 'socialism'.  Make no mistake, Iraq  like many dictatorships (and a few democracies) was a socialist entity.  A sudden jump to total open markets once again leaves many people out of work and frustrated.

Further, with the coming of this new economy, sanctions were lifted, and companies were able to come in and undercut the local buisnesses.  The shopkeepers reportedly have retaliated by paying farmers to shoot at our troops.

In general terms, the sense I got from him was that Saddam was brutal and had to go, but the idologues in the administration have sabotaged our efforts to rebuild Iraq and secure the peace every step of the way in the name of idological purity.

[The Duke]

We didn't disband the army, the army disintegrated on its own.

[J. J.]

We didn't disband the army, the army disintegrated on its own.

In all fairness, we didn't immediately attempt to recruit the former soldiers.  One of the problem say that the Iraqi army wasn't intact when we occupied the country.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Bush said there are 100,000 Iraqis that we fully trained.
The Pentagon says 8,169.

http://216.239.57.104/search?q=cache:x51ETdV7YfYJ:www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml%3Ftype%3DtopNews%26storyID%3D6330777+&hl=en&start=1

[khirkhib]

We didn't disband the army, the army disintegrated on its own.

Actually John Ford we did disband the Iraqi Army.
 John Blair said it was a big mistake
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200409/s1207413.htm

And just for the record we also

• Purged tens of thousands of former Baath Party members from the government, many of whom had joined the party only to feed their families, instead of rooting out only Saddam's most loyal henchmen.

• Failed to restore public services and underestimating the mammoth task of rebuilding Iraq's shattered economy.

• Waited too long to recognize the gravity of the insurgency, then reacting at times with excessive force that caused numerous civilian casualties, broke cultural taboos and turned Iraqis against the U.S.-led occupation.

And didn't stop the looting of museums and weapons depots.