I also think that people fail to look at the troops we wanted to swing down from Turkey, but not allowed to because Turkey voted no. I remember how the Dems and Bush critics praised the "democratic" vote but now they do not want Iraq to be a democracy. I also believe that this was a major failure of the State Department - Powell's State Department.
Exactly! I wondered if someone still remembered. Powell's State let the side down. Then IIRC thre was aslo plans of a exile Iraqi force to take over Baghdad? Wasn't it supposed to have been led by Ahmed Chalabi, but the CIA and the State stopped it.
Of course Chalabi may be a very dodgy character, but somehow I feel, and felt already then, that Washington political infighting was interferring with the handling of Iraq.
Anyway, an absolutely first rate post about a 100% first rate person!