the sad part here is you have no idea how wrong you are. Do yourself a favor, read the USMC Small Wars Manual and David Galula's Counterinsurgency Warfare, Theory and Practice and EDUCATE yourself.

First, we created the perfect environment for the insurgency to develop.

Second, if we were doing everything in our power to improve the situation in Iraq, we'd have over 300,000 troops in the country for starters. we certainly wouldn't have a democratic government, one of the biggest mistakes made, and only done to save face on why we went in.

Buy these books. Read them. You will change your mind.

Doug, you are absolutely correct. We knew Bin Laden and AQ was responsible for the U.S.S. Cole bombing in October of 2000 as well as previous efforts. We also know that Bill failed at taking AQ seriously as a threat.

Please answer this question: Given the building momentum of AQ through Clinton's Presidency, and the Cole bombing 3 months before Bush sat down in the Oval Office, why did Bush do nothing but focus on his version of Star Wars and completely ignore AQ for the first 9 months of his Presidency?

it seems to me that the second the AQ boat hit the Cole and blew a hole in it, WE WERE AT WAR. If Clinton dismissed, fine, string him up for treason charges. But Bush should have done nothing but focus on who/what/why/where bombed a U.S. Navy ship from the second his a$$ hit the chair.

9/11 is Bush's responsibility because he did not investigate nor retaliate for the Cole.

Bush Jr did so because of the wrong advice of leftover Clinton appointees.

The people responsible for our present state of affairs are primarily Carter and Clinton.

Guys that work for me leave for Iraq and others come back from Iraq daily. Most claim that is the most important, fulfilling work they have done in their life. According to them...and statistics, things are getting better every day.

Flintstone...such practical and empirical evidence must be dismissed as nonsense. POP, DARISC, and company know better, because they read stuff published in the media and listen to their equally informed friends.

Seriously...thanks for bringing a little common sense to the discussion.


Where I fault GWB directly has nothing to do with this discussion. It's got to do with the cost of fuel and his decision to ignore the single biggest economic problem facing this country today. But, there's another thread for that, I believe. . .

Shaun and I have exchanged emails and I believe his heart is in the right place. The 1st book that should be read is Dereliction of Duty by H. R. McMaster as it will provide better insight. His choices when read subsequent to Dereliction of Duty are not bad.

Every Soldier, Sailor, Airman, and Marine should be trained in both the immediate obedience of orders and to question orders when they are thought to be illegal. These are not mutually exclusive.

S/F, FOG

What's the difference between the Viet Nam War and the Iraq War?

President Bush had a plan of how to get out of the Viet Nam war...

ROFLMAO!