U.S. Has a Plan to Occupy Iraq, Officials Report

New York Times ^ | 10/11/02 | DAVID E. SANGER and ERIC SCHMITT

[leftiesareloonie]

WASHINGTON, Oct. 10 — The White House is developing a detailed plan, modeled on the postwar occupation of Japan, to install an American-led military government in Iraq if the United States topples Saddam Hussein, senior administration officials said today.

The plan also calls for war-crime trials of Iraqi leaders and a transition to an elected civilian government that could take months or years.

[leftiesareloonie]

Seems like bad timing for this sort of thing to come out. Some Dems will feel duped. Al Quaida will score a "see I told you so" propoganda victory. Saddam will use this info to rally Arabs to his side. The Europeans will dig in their heels in the UN. Tony Blair will lose support in his own party.

I can't believe that anybody in the adminstration is speaking out like this now, of all times.

[bybybill]

This is from the NYT. Enough said.

[Vidalia]

This is a "DUH!" from the start!

What idiocy!

Iraq also has a "big giant plan" to occupy every damn area/country they think would be good fun to occupy, just like Hitler!

This is not news, it is stupidity.

Hey, you stupid assed reporter, do you know that lizards eat thousands of pounds of ants a day? Are you going to worry tomorrow about the extinction of the ant?

What absolute idiocy!

Somebody introduce these semi-literate reporters to the game of "Risk", for the only risk they seem to know about is the risk of their feed being cut off for something that is relevant.

As we have said so often on the net, "What a Waste of Bandwidth and Frequency, Kenneth..."

[leftiesareloonie]

This is from the NYT. Enough said

Unfortunately, that means that every other liberal rag will repeat this story. European papers will trumpet it. So will Al Jazeera and "news" outlets throughout the world. Any momentum the adminstration gets from winning approval from both houses of congress will be undermined. Queasy, but supportive dems will feel betrayed. Blair will be undermined. The so-called spine of the French and the Russkies will be stiffend to dig in their heels at the UN. This may be the best, indeed the only course of action, but it's a MAJOR blunder to make this public now. I suspect that some waivering idiot in the state department leaked this story for his/her own purposes. That's how the game works in DC.

[bybybill]

It`s "make believe time" at the NYT. Somebody better tell them that both Tiny Tom and Gephart voted with the Preident. Time to switch positions one more time, Rats.

[Looking for Diogenes]

From reading the article it sure sounds like a planned administration disclosure rather than journalistic sleuthing.

Note that they are planning a Japanese-style, multi-year occupaton with full U.S. control instead of the looser control in Afghanistan. And that is even if Saddam is first overthrown in a coup.

[powderhorn]

Seems like bad timing for this sort of thing to come out. Some Dems will feel duped. Al Quaida will score a "see I told you so" propoganda victory.

Did anyone think that we were just going to go in, drop a few bombs, win a quick victory and then leave?

Yes, the Arab leaders will holler about American imperialism but in secret they will be happy. It's not just Saddam that they are worried about. The Arab leaders are terrified by their own festering populations.

And no, America will not bring democracy to the middle east. America will bring stability to the fragile regimes of the middle east. The American occupation of Iraq will not be quick, easy or cheap. But it will teach the crazy rabid factions in the Arab world a lesson that they've been dying to learn: Don't mess with the US or we'll come over and hold you down until you're ready to say Uncle.

[The Great Satan]

Concur.

[leftiesareloonie]

And no, America will not bring democracy to the middle east. America will bring stability to the fragile regimes of the middle east. The American occupation of Iraq will not be quick, easy or cheap. But it will teach the crazy rabid factions in the Arab world a lesson that they've been dying to learn: Don't mess with the US or we'll come over and hold you down until you're ready to say Uncle.

Well I take your point. But I don't think this is a very smart bit of public diplomacy. This line essentially says that Bin Laden is right about our goals. To recruit his minions all he has to do is quote your words and Bush's plans. The fragile regimes of the Middle East, as you rightly call them, are corrupt and autocratic and are mostly hated by their own people. They would gladly see them overthrown, but not by the US, not at the cost of military rule by the US for a number of years.

[wny]

And they're also planning to move the Atlanta Braves to Bagdad.

[leftiesareloonie]

I'd rather they send the NY Spankees. Or maybe both could go.

Anyway, I still think this is a poltical slip-up to release these sorts of plans right after the vote in the House and Senate.

[dalebert]

Its the NY Times. Just another lie.

[powderhorn]

This line essentially says that Bin Laden is right about our goals.

It's not all that simple as right & wrong/good guys & bad guys. The fragile, corrupt regimes of the mid east have been using the US as a scapegoat for the last 50 years. They have generated so much hatred over time that it would be reasonable to call those cultures "rabid."

If we back off now it only encourages the corrupt arab leaders to continue in their current path. If we back off it continues to be safe to attack America. If we back off now we invite more 9/11s. The message we send is not to the rabble who desperatly need an enemy, but to the leaders of those states: Back off, deal with your angry masses or you will face the consequences. We will have no more of it.