Are We Screwed in Iraq? If So, Who is to Blame? Is It Unreasonable to Blame the Man in Chharge During This Time? Who Do You Suppose That Might Be?

TIMELINE:

WW2 started for our country in December of '41.

WW2 ended with Italy and Germany 41 months later.

WW2 ended with Japan three months after that, or after 44 months.

We started our latest Iraq war in March of '03.

Our President declared "mission accomplished in May of '03.

General Patraeus testified before a Congressional Committee 52 months following the declaration of Mission accomplished.

Something is very wrong here.

General Patraeus said that it will take until the summer of '08 until we can reduce our forces in Iraq to the "pre-surge" level.

That will mean that we will still have 130,000 of our sons and daughters in harms way in Iraq after 62 months following the Presidents overly cute and staged "mission accomplished" mistake, fiasco, horror, and/or lie.

I can only dream that one of our elected congress people would stand up and say to the General: "Sir, with the greatest respect, this is all bull shit. I do not blame you "the soldier" who is called upon to FOLLOW ORDERS, and not make policy decisions. You are not the person who took our Nation to war, and you will not be the person who can or will end this war. You are not the decider."

Not that the General is a bad guy, not that the General is lying to us or misleading us, but after all, he is a soldier, and we are asking a soldier if he wants to do what soldiers do, which is to keep fighting, and fighting with as many other soldiers as possible.

Don't believe that? Have a séance and discuss this with Generals MacArthur, Patton, and Westmoreland among others.

If I were able to ask the General a couple of questions, I would ask him the following:

What executive and military mistakes have been made in our Iraqi strategy and our execution of that strategy since the start of the war?

Who was responsible for making and/or approving this strategy?

How long, under the best of circumstances, will it be until every Iraqi will be able to leave their home without fear in the morning, go anywhere, and return home safely?

Simple questions, however they require complex and embarrassing answers.

The wrong man testified yesterday.

Norman Horowitz
A/1C USAF 1952-1955

Comments

[piranhica]

Who is to blame?

The American people have no expectations of the President. None. He is universally viewed, except by a few sycophants like David Brooks of the NYT, as a callow bozo and a moron. And rightfully so. Naturally we have turned to others to solve our problems because it is readily apparent that the present resident of 1600 PA Ave is not up to it. Mostly, however, we sit stoically in front of the TV watching faux reality shows, while our reality is one of eroding buying power, no health insurance, no free time, a national debt that is unravelling us, and a host of 21st Century ills.

Who is to blame? Us. We voted the idiot in a second time.

[Plowboy]

I beg to differ. I believe George Walker Bush to be the only two term American president never to have won a single election to the office. (Unless you count crookedness as kosher.)

[Plowboy]

I am both liberal (I believe that the first business of government is the protection of individual rights.) and conservative (I believe that the best way for government to achieve its purpose is to work within and protect our Constitutional guarantees and our traditional human values.) so I totally despise anything I see today with a Neo in its name. Neoliberalism is a disgusting slimeball robber baron approach to looting the rest of the world for a few ultra-rich. Neoconservatism is neoliberalism plus militaristic world hegemonic and Zionist notions. None of that is good for us. None of it is ethically good.
We have lost our way as a nation and as a people. Those who try to imform us truthfully are branded as "crazy" or "anti-American" or worse. Well, brand me and be damned! I despise Bush's America. It is definitely not the America I have known and loved. It is not the America that was once a light unto the nations. It is a plague.
My old America did not seek to rule the world by military force. It did not claim to be above the laws of men and nations. It did not make a practice of secrecy and lies. It did not so love torture that it established special camps for it, claiming them to be beyonnd tghe reach of American of International laws. It did not consistently violate international convenntions. It was not "led" by a brainless, spineless, gutless, ball-less and heartless Bushbaby.
My old America was a nation of the people, by the people and for the people.
This Neoamerica is not of, by, or for us at all. Yes, Virginia, there was once an America; I loved her. But tell anyone that asks: I am proudly anti-Neoamerica.
We need real leaders. Kucinich has the right messages -- which is why Neoamerica shuns him. Most of those others offer no real, change regardless of their rhetoric. Thgere isn't two cents worth of difference between Bush and sweet Hillary.

[gopindrag]

If al qaida had struck while the Decider was in An Bar, would that have made him a war hero?

[Stefano]

Good article, but the comparison to WWII (which I've seen on Huffpo before) is flawed. "Major Combat operations" ended in 1945 for the US, but the occupying forces in Europe and Asia continued in Italy for 2 years, Germany for 10 (and you could argue up to 1990 in West Berlin) and Asia until 1952. Then we established permanent bases, but we were an occupying force up to that point, like we are today. Sorry to nitpick, but why give war supporters anything to pick apart our argument

[sugarmoes]

how much blood was spilled during those times?

[kygirl]

As a mother of a soldier who has had two deployments to Iraq, I am outraged that the hard questions were not answered before our "leader" committed us to this hopeless course of action. Those of us who were researching the history of the middle east prior to the invasion expected everthing that has taken place.
As you may recall, Dick Cheney himself said several times that Saddam was not taken out during Desert Storm because if he was removed from power, we would be committing to decades of occupation.
The more you think about it, the more horrifying it becomes. Bush & Co. knew, they lied, they manipulated, and then they painted anyone who dared question them as unpatriotic. (Remember what was done to Max Cleland? Do you recall the arrogance with which Bush & Co. refused to answer questions posed by Congress & Senate, who then rolled over and played dead?)
I remember how difficult it was to comprehend how Hitler became so powerful and why the German people did nothing to stop him.
After watching my own county for the past 7 years, I now understand.

[USAisOK]

Please name ONE war/conflict which hasn't been wrought with mistakes. They side which wins is the one which ultimately makes the fewest. Name ONE qualified citizen who has a clue on how to conduct such operations, it's easy to criticize from the comfort of home. I believe the generals know better than any of you. Let them do the job for which THEY have volunteered. Last, the General wasn't SENT to congress but REQUIRED by THEM to give the report. Now they take issue with the reason he is there. WHAT?! The funding law REQUIRED this report, now that some do not agree with the testimony they SPECULATE upon it's worth. They politicians playing POLITICS to soemhow give creedance to their existence. WHEN will the leftist denounce the personal attacks on the ONE's who have volunteered? COWARDS!

[AreYouSerious]

I really liked this post.

I am neither liberal nor conservative, if I vote, I do so with the democratic party, but only so much as I'm voting with the "lesser evil".

What I want, and what I think every American needs is for someone to stand up and fight. To have some balls. Not this PC bull Sh*t b/c frankly that is all politics have become. We need a leader, and I have yet to see any strong candidate on either side.

[TakeNoNeoConPrisoners]

No, the scapegoat and puppet testified yesterday as the Decider would have it. From here on out, the blame from Bu$hit will be targeted at the Generals, the Congress, the Media and even the majority of the American people for losing Bu$hits war in Iraq. Afterall, the Decider didn't change his mind so he couldn't have possibly been to blame for all the wrong decisions about Iraq. It was the others who just couldn't cut the mustard. History will decide the Decider's legacy and I'll bet the blame will rest on the shoulders of those who promoted, lied and incompetently executed this fiasco in Iraq. Does the name George W Bu$hit come to mind.

[Picasso]

Super summary of the reality.

Can someone explain to me why there is not a single
Senator or Congressman who can ask the General or the President these questions?

These politicians are the citizen's employees. We pay their pay, their health care insurance, their retirement
coverage.

The whole lot of them should be fired for not doing the job they are paid to do.

Picasso

[bigfated]

O God!, Mr. Horowitz...You are so right! This madman we have allowed to lead our country is doing his best to ruin America---and I think we all know full well that he will never be held accountable. But Americans can do the next thing---get these idiots---(Republicans) out of office and get the healing process underway. Bush will be left with a "legacy" as the singularly most inept, ineffective, unintelligent, and all-around very worst President we've ever been forced to endure. He has assaulted the collective gag-reflex of an entire nation. And God only knows what additional harm he'll do to America---and the world--in the time he has left. Four more years of "leadership" by the party of selfish fools....and we are doomed!!!

[shanghaislim]

Way to go NORMAN!

Now if some of the numbskull's, knitwits and knuckleheads in Washington would only realize their absurd folly????

Keep the thoughts coming Stormin' Norman Horowitz!!