Posted on 09/14/2007 7:47:18 PM PDT by Turret Gunner A20
Top General Acknowledges Iraq Mistakes Friday, September 14, 2007 WASHINGTON - The U.S. military's top general acknowledged Friday that he made mistakes in his early Iraq war strategy but said he still has no doubt that invading the country was the right decision. Marine Gen. Peter Pace, retiring chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and one of the war's military architects, said he overestimated the ability of the Iraqi army to hold together after the invasion, and as a result underestimated the number of U.S. troops that would eventually be needed to fight the war. Offering a blunt assessment of the decisions and recommendations he made back in early 2003, an introspective Pace told Pentagon reporters that with the aid of 20-20 hindsight, it's clear he made "errors in assumption."
“overestimated the ability of the Iraqi army to hold together after the invasion”
bremer didn’t help things.
Of course the MSM bypass the whole premise of Gen. Pace comments.....create a negative headline (with absolutely no context to it). Shameful, pathetic.....yet expected. We live in sad times.
Its a war, not a prescripted 30 minute sitcom..
I’m still waiting for that ‘New York Times Acknowledges Iraq Mistakes’ headline...
“It will be interesting to watch the dimocraps having orgasms over this.”
They won’t. Never have. Condi Rice admitted “thousands” of mistakes were made in the occuption — no Dem follow-up.
Their political strategy demands that all strife now is necessarily due to the invasion in the first place.
I suppose after the first mistake of the next war, the Democrats will want us to all fold up our prayer rugs and go home.
It takes a man to admit mistakes and it takes a still better man to press on ahead in spite of them.
Some humans made a nonzero number of mistakes in a large, complicated endeavor they were undertaking (as opposed to every human involved doing and choosing everything perfectly at every single moment). Amazing and shocking. Yes, this certainly proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that the endeavor must be abandoned and everyone of voting age must rush to cast a vote for the political party that wasn’t in power when it happened.
Bingo! The liberal microwave mentality is mind-boggling, isn't it?
I can percieve no reason why Gen. Peter Pace, USMC should do anything but look back in pride on a long and distinguished career in the service of our great nation. Well done, good and faithful servant, and Semper Fi!
I got a picture of Generals Patton or Marshall or Eisenhower throwing out their innermost guilt feelings for public consumption right after the Normandy invasion.
Or maybe General Pace is throwing himself on his sword for the Administration. Who knows. Maybe they're tossing coins in DC to see who can become the most "human" and the most error prone in the past conduct of the WOT.
Or who can provide the most grist for the mills of the enemies of the Republic.
Shut up, already.....all of you.
Stay professional and fight the damn war to win!
Leni
It is sad times. It is the time of treason by the left in our country. Conservatives need either fight back or get ready for the gulags.
It is hopeless, trying to convince today's Demrat Leftists of the necessity for Victory; when their Party is not just invested in defeat; but rather; totally committed to America's failure. Period. .
. . ..whether Iraq; or anywhere we meet our antagonists around the world. . .it is the same. These Dems want America as we know it; gone. Our Military; our Capitalisim; our Democracy. . .gone;
. . .and in it's place; they want a humbled, humiliated. . .defeated and complacent America so they can get about their business of 're-creation'. . .
( "We are at a stage in history in which remolding society is one of the great challenges facing all of us in the West. - Hillary Clinton)"
Hindsight is 20/20. Even if we kept elements of Baathist security and infrastructure intact, we ran the risk of losing Shiite confidence in the Coalition and starting a real civil war. Things could have turned out a lot worse.
While we are on the subjet of, “Things could have turned out a lot worse.” Someone deserves credit for keeping Iran and Syria from sending massive armies against our expeditionary force. Indeed, things could have been a lot worse.
Everyone is trying to position themselves to be in the good graces of whomever is in the CIC seat next.
“I’m astounded.
Imagine a General admitting mistakes have been made in a war.
I’ll never believe anything ever again.”
Shocking indeed. Life isn’t perfect, war is hell, complex strategies never turn out as you plan/expect, and to err is human.
I’m aghast.
Next thing you know, they’ll be telling us the tooth fairy doesn’t exist and life isn’t sunshine and lollipops. what a shocker. who knew?
Now the REAL lesson: That you don’t really fail until you quit... ie quitters never win and winners never quit ... is a lesson I hope we eventually prove out in Iraq. Persistence pays!
It would be interesting to know what part of the strategy for OIF Gen Pace developed. Gen Pace did not become CJCS until late 2005.
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