[Question Liberal Authority]

Rummy's notions on war are great for conventional wars, they are moronic for policing countries.

The Iraqi people are the ones who should be policing their country. Iraqis replace coalition soldiers as the Iraqis are trained. Eventually, there will be no need for the US to police Iraq at all.

[jmc1969]

We had an Iraqi Army and police force that General Abazaid origionally intended to retrain and use to police the country. Bremer and Wolfawitz disbanded them on the advice of Chalabi.

[kenavi]

jmc1969, what is your model of a successful occupation of a country against a counter-insurgency in modern times (post WW-II)?

There is the example of the British in Malaysia, I don't believe this was achieved with a large occupying force.

In Vietnam, we defeated the insurgency as we drew down troops and the South Vietnamese took over.

In addition, when it comes to Rumsfeld, we are talking about a man who has long challenged diplomatic niceties, achieved success in business as well as gov't, has no further political ambitions to sway his reason, and asks the tough questions of his own policies. I would therefore credit that he has looked at a whole raft of implications of small force vs large force.