Rice: Mistakes Were Made in Iraq

AP via Newsmax.com ^ | 12/2/2006 | Staff

[Dark Skies]

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Friday she is certain the United States has made mistakes in the Iraq war, but the world will have to wait until she is out of government to learn what she thinks they were.

"As to whether the United States has made mistakes: of course, I'm sure we have," Rice told interviewer Saad Sillawi of the Arabic satellite television station Al-Arabiya. "You can't be involved in something as big as the liberation of a country like Iraq, and all that has happened since, and I'm sure there are things that we could have done differently."

She told Sillawi, however, that the Bush administration is looking ahead, not backward.

"When I'm back at Stanford University," she said, "I can look back and write books about what we might have done differently."

Rice was a political science professor and later provost at Stanford. She was interviewed at a conference in Jordan, and the State Department distributed the transcript in Washington.

[Austin Willard Wright]

Of course, mistakes have been made in any war but that doesn't excuse the dire mess in Iraq. Defenders of the war have to make a stronger case than this "all wars have mistakes" cop-out! Saying "mistakes were made" reminds me of those who excuse made by those who try to ratioanlize the failures of the war on poverty.

[Names Ash Housewares]

My personal take is the mistakes made were not killing or arresting people like Sadr long ago.
Going into Iraq far too late after telegraphing our punch for months. Worrying too much about what the Iraqis, French and UN will think of us if we blow a mosque filled with terrorists to bits. Not being strong enough against Iran and Syria helping the terrorists and various islamic wackos.


The mixed results of modern warfares attempts at civilizing warfare is something I do not quite entirely grasp.

I agree with why we are there, I agree that success is possible and indeed likely in time.

I just think if more people running the war asked "What would Patton do?", we would be much farther along toward our goals in the region.

[lowbridge]

President Bush has failed to be the first person in world history to run a mistake free war. Therefore he must be impeached. /sarcasm

[airborne]

I had high hopes for her, but no more.

She turned out to be another RINO.

[Pepper777]

Thanks for posting the article, DS.

I don't understand why she is focused on mistakes at this time. The administration needs to look strong to the enemy, as well as our allies - not weak, imho.

[La Enchiladita]

Thanks for the ping, Pepper. I think I saw this quote elsewhere and kind of flinched when I did. It's a general kind of statement true of any war, but I don't understand her need to say so.

Her academic detachment is showing, IMO.

[He Rides A White Horse]

"As to whether the United States has made mistakes: of course, I'm sure we have," Rice told interviewer Saad Sillawi of the Arabic satellite television station Al-Arabiya. "You can't be involved in something as big as the liberation of a country like Iraq, and all that has happened since, and I'm sure there are things that we could have done differently."

It's called 'war', and of course mistakes are made. What is untrue about her statement?

...on the other hand liberals never make mistakes. Never.

[He Rides A White Horse]

....and some are ready to hang her. Sheesh.

[VRWC For Truth]

The mistakes were made by the bureaucrats. Not much could be done by the Administration. The mistake is not limiting government.

[He Rides A White Horse]

Thank you. You saved me some typing.