Quote:
Originally posted by dd74
Iraq was as much about PR as it was a "bad plan." Remember Cheney stating the Iraqis will put flowers in the gun barrels of our troops, or some such baloney? And ex-CIA chief Tenant (I think), calling Iraq a "slam dunk?" Well, low troop levels played into both of those dillusions. The Administration wanted Iraq to look easy when in fact it was easy for the insurgents to kill almost 3,000 American troops.
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It has not been "Easy for the insurgents" to kill 3000 americans.
We lost more men on the fist day at Iwo Jima than we've lost in 3 years in Iraq. So historically, given the length of the conflict, this is a brilliant campaign wrt the amount of casualties we've suffered...it's just that in every other way it has failed....
As far as the cheyney comment, as the lead elements of the US Army advance into Iraq approached Nassiriyah they were atually instructed to "Expect parades", and were further instructed to be prepared to hand out thousands of little american flags they'd been issued, for photo ops.
Um, Whoops...
The generals running the war, from Shinseki, to Wallace, to Abizaid, made all kinds of predictions of doom and gloom even BEFORE the war started based on Rummy and Franks force levels and plans.
They were flatly ignored(and often put to pasture).