Thomas Ricks: War In Iraq Is Not Over (VIDEO)

Thomas Ricks, author of the the book "Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq," which deals with the planning and execution of the Iraq War, appeared on Meet the Press to discuss his new book, "The Gamble," and the current state of Iraq.

Ricks, a war correspondent for the Washington Post thinks that predictions that we have won the war in Iraq are too soon by far, and that we have a long way yet to go with the outcome still uncertain: "A lot of people back here incorrectly think the war is over. What I say in this book is that we may be only halfway through this thing."

Watch David Gregory interview Ricks below.

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Comments

[CaptainStormfield]

http://crooksandliars.com/cernig/generals-hagiographer-helps-iraq-withdrawal

[vicenteduq]

The War is not to be won with bullets, rockets and bombs. It is won in the Human Heart of the Afghans and Iraqis.

But how can the Human Heart be gained by Killings, Murders, Torturing and Maiming People, even Women and Children ???

Who is going to thank for the deatsh of hundreds of thousands ???

Their relatives ??? ... Their Friends ??? ..... Their countrymen ???

These Idiotic Wars will leave only Poisoned Hearts, and with every Intelligent Reason not to love but to hate the Invaders and Occupiers for so many years.

I wonder how it is possible that there are people that believe in the Bush Win, the McCain Victory, and other foolishness.

You can kill one million more Afghans and Iraqis and that won't change the result :

Useless Idiotic Wars like Vietnam.

Where three million Asiatics died for no use.


http://prophesizing.blogspot.com

http://milenials.blogspot.com

Vicente Duque

[army193]

What will the Middle East become without 700 Billion dollars from American based on buying there oil...any thoughts?

[CaptainStormfield]

Sand.. I dont think they have come close to constructing a self sustaining economy.
But that may be because the ruling classes there live like despots.

[PhilipTaylor]

"We are Going the Get all These Guys Out!" Yes we can!

Harvard Magazine said in 2006 that the Iraq War Cost $2,000,000,000,000 in direct and indirect cost and by 2009 it will be $3,750,000,000,000 and COUNTING!

We can not afford the Military Contractors FEES while our Economy Tanks.

If Iraq wants to start a Civil War to solve their Political Problems let them! It is not the job of a near Bankrupt US to intervene in Iraq's Civil War or Civil Peace.

Our Oil Companies can find Oil Somewhere ELSE!
This is ALL ABOUT OIL AS IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN!

Get the HECK Out! Put the GENERALS in Pakistan and Afganistan where American Security Matters.

[nervousexpat]

so now that the US has completely f u c k e d the country, let the Iraqis get out of the mess? I'll bet you were all for the war when W first proposed it though....

[motu]

piff... riiiight....

[Firbolg]

The war in Iraq is long over. President George W. Bush said as much aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln on May 1, 2003 and he was semantically correct. What has been going on since is a "police" or "peacekeeping" action by the occupying forces of the coalition with the apparent approval of the government of Iraq and, until the end of 2008, the UN. It is similar in principle to what goes on in Afghanistan, the lands that Israel occupies or controls, the gang-controlled areas of major cities and the international waters favored by pirates. If the US army is called out under its new powers to help maintain or restore order in this country following a disaster or disturbance will the media refer to that as the “war in the USA”? When the National Gurad and Blackwater moved into New Orelans after Katrina - was that a "war" too? If everyone would stop referring the “war” in Iraq, it would make the debate more effective.

[youknowwhat]

You're right in one sense, it is not a war. It is an occupation. A very expensive occupation at that. Can we sustain our level of involvement in Iraq with our crumbling economy? Bin Laden accomplished what he wanted, not so much to bring the US down militarily, but to cripple it's economic base. Cheney and Bush took the bait and left us with what could be America's downfall.

[youknowwhat]

We don't produce too many goods anymore but we have the best arms industry in the world . This country pretty much has to be involved in some kind of armed conflict in the world all of the time. How else can our arms industry be profitable?
FDR warned us of this about sixty years ago.

[newyorkid]

This is balony. The US must get out of Iraq immediately.

[vanron100]

Absolutely correct. The elections in Iraq have been successful - polls of the people in Iraq overwhelming want US out of Iraq - their biggest fear at the moment is that US will inadvertently create a serious incident that WILL perpetuate a new surge in violence in Iraq.

Let's leave while were still looking good - declare a victory - and LEAVE!

[punk]

I wish the freedom fighters would hurry-up and kick America out of Iraq.

[hapiday]

"Some guy" is the general's chief commander, a person elected by the populace to keep the generals underfoot".

The Bush military propaganda machine at work. Bush is still running this war from Texas. I hope people didn't think that the Bush administration was going to leave quietly. McCain and Bush probably made an agreement they were going to finish this war regardless of what President Obama says.

[Figerre]

I watched this guy - and the part he loved the best was telling how Petraous told candidate Obama off. I wonder how Petraous took it when PRESIDENT Obama told him that he was now on HIS turf - and he was Commander in Chief? Ricks hero worships Petraous and Petraous appears to have started believing his own press. Iraq will NEVER be Obama's war - after 7 years of Bush. So don't go there. Hard as these guys try to blame Obama for everything, this President walked into the Oval office with it stacked with crap Bush created and walked away from because of his incompetence.

so let's get real here. I saw today $42 Billion has been spent on Afghanistan -- which is, what? one month in Iraq? All I have to say to Rick - is go home and write another book - on Petraous, it appears he is your hero and it colors everything else you see.

[ltvt8]

IT'S OVER WHEN TOM RICKS SAYS IT'S OVER!

[Rog49Thomas]

Well, brilliant though he is in analyzing the Iraqi situation, Brother Ricks apparently knows little about the attention span or intelligence of the average citizen.

If it ain't on the TV, it's over.

If enough talking heads say we've won, we've won.

Facts, logic and reality really are not relevant in a third world country.

[Luvial]

Oh, it's over, we're just not done paying yet. These generals are incompetent.

[Rog49Thomas]

Sometimes the reason for a failure is not the personnel executing the plan.

Sometimes it's not the plan.

Sometimes it's the concept.

When the princess can't spin straw into gold, the proper response might be to rethink the premise on which the adventure is predicated.

[esgabel]

Are we smart enough to truly understand this? We are spending our way into bankrupcy in another nation and quibbling about spending money here for infrastructure and jobs...There is a lot of magical thinking out there..."winning" wars that are unwinnable, economic stimulus by tax cuts--not targetted spending, and no viable plan for health care ... maybe we can solve all our problems by decreasing "the surplus population."
It is time for us all to reread or view Dicken's we're heading back the future!

[AlienRep]

We're pathetically stupid as a country. Military idiots! We can't hold some of these countries. It is not financial or reseasonable. Let people take care of themselves. As a historical intellect America's days are numbered. This only lends to the fact we will have to use a weapon large enought to wipe out a country at one attack. Maybe nuclear maybe chemical or pandemic desease. But the ones in power will not relinguish what they have. Humans are expendable.
Just like Rome , we are witnessing our own demise as a culture and civilzation. The Chinese actually are the smartest country in the world. They keep building and storing resources for their future. They and the arabs have most of all American money. Who buys American??? Figure where your money is going. We on the other hand have dispensed with our most import resource, "KNOWLEDGE" and our soldiers. We have sold everything but our mothers to achieve the illusion of some culture happiness. Capitalism is BS. It was in the times of Egypt or China or even s.America where the greatest human achievements were made by socialism. Pyramids, great chinese wall and even Peru's ruins.
Such disparity in the world. When will someone say the truth and the time for world equilibrium to happen. There is no way anyone can have it all without fighting the rest of the world to keep it. Grow up America (Rome). World war is coming.
AlienRep
Sweet Home Or.