It is true that after the initial invasion met with complete success, there was poor planning and execution of any strategy for dealing with the aftermath of the invasion. The leadership on the ground in Iraq was also slow to adjust to the changing face of the enemy. However, what I got from this thread is that McClellan is claiming that the Bush White House cooked the information leading up to the war in order to justify the initial campaign. On that score I must concur with those who are excoriating this bum.
I agree with that as well. I do not believe administration knew that there were no WMDs.
I would however add that in MY view when the case for War was being made, administration tried too hard. When you do that, you are bound to create the imprssion that you used propoganda.
I don’t ever recall, a Secretary of State going to UN with test-tubes and other gadgets and playing the recording of Mobile Chemical Lab drivers and Iraqi Generals, and displaying satellite shots of possible WMD storage stuctures.
I mean that is not necessary. You shoudn’t try to win a case in court before you go to war. President needs to lay out his reasons and they should be presented in a simple manner and that’s enough. When you over promise, you are bound to fail. When you overplay your hand, there are consequences.
Administration went way over board on that issue as well. Gave too many reasons. From yellow cake, to aluminum tubes, to small planes that can be launched off of cargo ships and spray chemicals in coastal cities, with videos to boot, to Nuclear weapons, to Saddam’s Fidaeen, to Biological weapons.
I mean these people were stealing furniture first chance they got to breathe.
Administration had me believing that at any moment Chemical or Biological attack could take place. Then they come up completely empty handed. We go from showing specialized vehicles that marines had with them that had fans that could blow back the chemical and biological weapons, to finding one single old shell whose tip may have been tipped with some bio-agent.
If you recall, administration periodically changed the name of the operation and reasons for being in Iraq as well.
It went from WOT to Operation Love Iraq or something.
I sure as hell wasn’t dying to liberate Iraqi’s and build a Democracy over there. That’s Iraqi’s job, not ours. They do have my moral support and I won’t mind spending few bucks, and that’s about it. 4,000+ lives and nearly Trillion dollars, with NO WAY OUT YET is not what I signed up for, especially if its only for the purpose of Nation Building.
President Bush ONLY WON ONE DEBATE against Al Gor. It was the second debate when they were sitting down. One of the points that he clobberred Gor was on the issue of NATION BUILDING. Other point he embarrassed Gor on was that how some Arab Americans were held in detention for years without being tried.
Compare that to what is going on now.
To summarize, administration has NO NEED to over-build the case in Iraq. The fact that they tried too hard, it was bound to happen that some flimsy evidence would get into the argument. They kept giving brand new reasons every week as to why War was important and then once the War started and we got to the point of Furniture Looting, they started to give brand new reasons every week as to why we need to stay there.
So its not just poor planning and execution. Its also poor PR, and unprecedented stupidty in trying to convince the Nation to go to war.
The fact that they tried too hard, creates the impression of Propoganda.