Do you really thing this will change anyone’s mind about Iraq?
The end result of Iraq is being blamed on Bush by surmising Iraq would not be in such terrible shape now if Bush had not taken us there in the first place.
“The end result of Iraq is being blamed on Bush by surmising Iraq would not be in such terrible shape now if Bush had not taken us there in the first place.”
I agree with that statement.
He didn’t lie I think he believed what he said was true. He was just terribly wrong
It was in good shape until Commie Obammie removed all US troops.
The Bush haters aka Bush derangement sufferers? No
However, thinking people understand that the war in Iraq was largely won after the surge, basing would have been the answer to a post Iraqi Middle East peace much as the Marshall plan reshaped Europe after WWII but we will never know because a Liberal ideologue hell bent on destroying anything that Bush had done went and removed all of our troops never negotiated basing rights and effectively lost a war that had been won. Now we have ISIS and worse we have Russia relaunching their ambitious global domination plan by partnering with Iran anyone that refuses to learn the lessons of history is damned to repeat them, but let’s make sure we tell the accurate history and place the messes squarely at the feet of those that caused them.
I vividly remember Colin Powell on television making the case for going into Iraq. He showed numerous satellite images of facilities and vehicles moving in and out of the facilities. This testimony was essential to securing the Congressional and UN resolutions supporting the invasion of Iraq as well as the support of the American people. No doubt the Democrats and Republicans in Congress, as well as the heads of allied nations were shown even more compelling evidence. Nothing was said to the American people or Congress about going to war to establish a democratic government in Iraq.
Bush had the support of the American people, and most of the political establishment, to invade Iraq for the express purpose of removing weapons of mass destruction. No other mission was requested by the Bush Administration so Bush did not have a blank check to change the mission.
The invasion was declared a success by President Bush in the now infamous “mission accomplished” carrier landing publicity stunt. While the Iraqi army was defeated, and Sadaam was in hiding, it soon became clear the Bush administration had no plan in place to secure the country. Years of anarchy and civil warfare followed with thousands of US lives lost, hundreds of thousands of Iraqi lives lost, trillions of US tax money lost, and the entire region destabilized.
Whether or not there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq or Syria, the administration did not follow up the Iraq campaign with a definitive statement to the American people. The administration declared a military victory, it never formally addressed the central issue (WMD) used to justify the war. Bush, having asked for the support of the American people to go to war to remove WMD’s, had a duty to go on television and give an accounting. He should have said we found weapons, we didn’t find weapons, the weapons went to Syria or something. He never performed his duty and obligation. Therefore he deserves the criticism he receives to this day.
Not only did Bush fail to address the issue of WMD once the military victory of Sadaam was achieved, he and his administration immediately changed the mission to nation building, specifically creating a democratic Iraq. However, Bush did not have a mandate from either Congress or the American people to occupy Iraq for years to rebuild the country. Even worse, it quickly became apparent his team had no viable plan for nation building. The nation collapsed into civil war and US forces were being chewed up in another Vietnam style guerrilla war of attrition. The administration was divided as to strategy, and thousands of American soldiers were killed and wounded while they dithered. It wasn’t until the surge of 2007 the US forces began to defeat insurgents and gain some control of the country.
Bush and his team also failed at geopolitics. Sadaam’s Iraq served as a buffer keeping the two competing nations in the region (Iran and Saudi Arabia) in check. Overthrowing Sadaam, destroying the Iraqi army, and creating conditions for civil war in Iraq created a power vacuum which completely destabilized the region. Bush and his team clearly failed to envision the consequences of taking Sadaam out, or if they did understand a power vacuum would be created, they had no plan in place to deal with it.
Whether or not weapons were found, Bush owed the American people and Congress an accounting which was never given. In addition, when he changed the mission, he should have gone back to Congress for a new resolution and authority to engage in a multi-year effort to occupy Iraq, rebuild the country, and install a democratic government. That never happened. After five years of blood an national treasure being poured down the Iraq rathole, with no end in sight, George W. Bush had lost all credibility with the American people and they were ready to vote for the change candidate who promised an end to the war.
If WMD’s were buried in the desert, or transported to Syria, Bush owed the American people an accounting. If there were no WMD’s Bush owed the American people an admission. He made a conscious decision not to play straight with the people. He made a conscious decision to change the mission without securing the support of the people and Congress. He made a conscious decision to destabilize the region without a plan or the resources to reestablish order. His failures bankrupted the Treasury, killed and maimed American soldiers, and paved the way for Obama. His unwillingness to play straight with the people once he changed the mission, cost him the goodwill and support of the people. His Iraq policy was a complete failure no matter what his intentions.