No. I said it so the very instant it happened. When Paul Bremmer announced they were disbanding the Iraqi army and banning all Bathe party members from government, I said at that very instant, you have just snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. I instantly predicted the subsequent violence we witnessed.
I told anyone who would listen, "We invaded so easily because Iraqi's hearts weren't really in to it. They wanted Saddam gone. Now we have given them reasons to hate us. "
By disbanding the Iraqi army, and banning all Bathe party members, you have just given them a reason to want us dead. Suddenly we were not liberators, but occupiers.
I told anyone that would listen "You have just informed the most dangerous and capable people in Iraq, that they will never have a future so long as we remain present in their country. " We gave their most capable soldiers and officers reasons to try and kill us.
The bombs started going off a few days later, and the bloodshed had commenced, and it was all thanks to that IDIOT Paul Bremmer and his boss, George W. Bush.
Disbanding the Iraqi army, and banning Bathe party members from their jobs was probably the stupidest political decision of this century until Barack Odumbo came along and exceeded it.
“Disbanding the Iraqi army, and banning Bathe party members from their jobs was probably the stupidest political decision of this century until Barack Odumbo came along and exceeded it.”
I think Petraeus’ COIN strategy and rules of disengagement were probably second, but no arguments, just additional points.