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Powell: U.S. made 'serious mistakes' in Iraq
AP ^ | April 9 2006 | MONIFA THOMAS

Posted on 04/09/2006 1:16:00 PM PDT by jmc1969

Former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell on Saturday said the United States has made "serious mistakes" during the Iraq war that have led to the rising violence the country now faces.

"We made some serious mistakes in the immediate aftermath of the fall of Baghdad," Powell told a crowd of thousands at the McCormick Place conference. "We didn't have enough troops on the ground. We didn't impose our will. And as a result, an insurgency got started, and . . . it got out of control."

Now, American troops must "stick with the people of Iraq" until order is restored, he said.

Powell, a retired four-star general, served as secretary of state under Bush from 2001 until 2005.

His remarks came a day after suicide bombers hit a Shiite mosque in Baghdad, killing more than 80.

(Excerpt) Read more at suntimes.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: 3rdanniversary; aftermathanalysis; alqaeda; alqaedainiraq; alqaida; colinpowell; fallofbaghdad; foreignpolicy; insurgency; iraq; powell; terrorism; terroristattacks; terrorists; waronterror; waronterrorism; wot
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1 posted on 04/09/2006 1:16:02 PM PDT by jmc1969
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To: jmc1969

Everybody has a plan till the 1st punch is thrown.


2 posted on 04/09/2006 1:17:04 PM PDT by Blackirish (Hillary is angry AND brittle.)
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To: jmc1969

At least he's not saying it was a mistake to disband the Iraqi army like some numbskulls.


3 posted on 04/09/2006 1:17:59 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
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To: jmc1969

Colin Powell only cares about himself and his image in the press.

He wants to appear so wise.


4 posted on 04/09/2006 1:20:37 PM PDT by Erik Latranyi (If Hillary gets elected, Bill Clinton will turn the White House into the Whore House.)
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To: jmc1969

Memo

To: General Colin Powell (USA, Retired)
From: President George W. Bush (you remember me don't cha?)

Let this serve as notice that you are now returned to active duty, your smart ass is assigned to Baghdad, now go over there and fix all these problems you keep seeing, ok?

Enjoy your flight General, and stay in touch!

Regards,

George


5 posted on 04/09/2006 1:23:19 PM PDT by mkjessup (The Shah doesn't look so bad now, eh? But nooo, Jimmah said the Ayatollah was a 'godly' man.)
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To: Blackirish
One of those mistakes was having Powell on board.
6 posted on 04/09/2006 1:24:06 PM PDT by pointsal
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To: jmc1969

The mistake was getting rid of Jay Garner and putting Bremer in charge.


7 posted on 04/09/2006 1:25:59 PM PDT by Terpfen (72-25: The Democrats mounted a failibuster!)
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To: jmc1969

Oh, fer cryin' out loud!!! I'm sick of this mea culpa crapola!! It's WAR, for God's sake!! EVERY war doesn't go exactly according to plan. All of the breast beaters need to get over it and accept that errors happen in war and move on.


8 posted on 04/09/2006 1:26:53 PM PDT by DustyMoment (FloriDUH - proud inventors of pregnant/hanging chads and judicide!!)
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To: jmc1969

Captain Obvious!


9 posted on 04/09/2006 1:27:17 PM PDT by Sometimes A River (America can do nothing for the Muslim world)
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To: pointsal

What did he do/didn't do?


10 posted on 04/09/2006 1:28:22 PM PDT by Sometimes A River (America can do nothing for the Muslim world)
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To: jmc1969

Hey Powell the army knows how to break things. Fixing them is above their pay grade.


11 posted on 04/09/2006 1:28:36 PM PDT by ex-snook (John 17 - So that they may be one just as we are one.)
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To: Erik Latranyi

Both Perleman and Wolfowitz are out of the positions they had when we went to war with Iraq.

Ie, fired.


12 posted on 04/09/2006 1:29:57 PM PDT by Sometimes A River (America can do nothing for the Muslim world)
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To: jmc1969
"We didn't impose our will. And as a result, an insurgency got started, and . . . it got out of control." - Powell

But General, the imposition of American will is no way to "win hearts and minds."

....although it is the only way to win.

13 posted on 04/09/2006 1:30:30 PM PDT by Mr. Mojo
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To: jmc1969

is he manifesting presidential aspirations?


14 posted on 04/09/2006 1:31:21 PM PDT by the invisib1e hand (blah)
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To: pointsal

"One of those mistakes was having Powell on board."

I was about to say the same thing...


15 posted on 04/09/2006 1:32:54 PM PDT by babygene
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To: jmc1969

The U.S. made "serious mistakes" in the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, WW I, WW II, Korea, Vietnam and the first Persian Gulf War. So what's your point Colin? Whining and crying that it's too tough to do never makes things any better. You play the cards you're dealt and you deal with it. Americans never used to give up until the drug-induced 60s happened. It was the boomer babies who decided that nothing was worth sweat, pain and blood. If it can't be done quickly with as little pain as possible, the boomer babies will tell you that it isn't worth doing.


16 posted on 04/09/2006 1:33:53 PM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (Sacrificing unity and national identity for "diversity" and "multiculturalism" is a really dumb idea)
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To: ex-snook

Yep, they're warriors, not policemen or social workers.


17 posted on 04/09/2006 1:34:10 PM PDT by Mr. Mojo
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To: jmc1969
The State Department made much bigger mistakes than DoD.
18 posted on 04/09/2006 1:34:38 PM PDT by 68skylark
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To: jmc1969

"We made some serious mistakes in the immediate aftermath of the fall of Baghdad,"


Bush is reelected without Powell. So who is "we"?


19 posted on 04/09/2006 1:36:42 PM PDT by Berlin_Freeper (ETERNAL SHAME on the Treasonous and Immoral Democrats!)
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To: jmc1969
The single biggest, worst mistake of the war was failing to get Turkey on board, so the 4th ID could enter Iraq from the north.

That was Powell's responsibility and he blew it.

20 posted on 04/09/2006 1:36:57 PM PDT by 68skylark
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