Rand: Not enough troops in Iraq

UPI ^

[Thebaddog]

Rand Sponsor page

This is the link to their sponsor's page. Soros' group, Open Society, is down the page. AARP is there as well. Why are old people giving their money to these eggheads?

[varon]

The United States did not deploy additional troops in the immediate aftermath of major fighting based on the assumption by the Bush administration that the country would be largely relieved and happy to be free of the repressive Saddam Hussein regime.

That assumption was a major blunder and we're paying the price.

Judging from available published materials, this 'welcoming with open arms and flowers' was concocted by self serving individuals such a Chalabi and his ilk who used the US military as their mercenaries with the willingness of George W. Bush after 9/11 when he had to look Presidential and decisive.

Why anyone in our government would fall for the 'open arms & flowers' when there was no organized opposition in place nor a government in exile with a following to step in and bring calm to the country after Hussein was toppled is a mystery, unless it was done for self serving motives as well.

Sort of reminds me of an anecdote where a 90 year old guy is chasing a young woman but when he catches her, he is incapable of doing anything. The epitome of futility!

[jmc1969]

There were three main mistakes. Not planning a government to put in place led by someone like Allawi right after the war. Disbanding the Iraqi Army which was the biggest of the three mistakes. And, the least of which was not enough US troops.

We could have been out of Iraq in months if all three of these were changed, however that is all water under the bridge.