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We did break it. That's something that we will have to live with for a very long time.
On the other hand, let's not pretend that life was a bed of roses for the majority of the Iraqi people under Sadaam Hussein. The comparison of his authoritarian rule over the Shia to Hitler is reasonably apt. He was an truly despicable leader.
Look, what we should have done, if we were determined to topple Hussein, was immediately cut a deal with Allatollah Sisatani for a Shia government and allowed the Shia to basically "cleanse" the Sunni Bathists. That was the only avenue to a semi-functional government in post-invasion Iraq. Then, we should have gotten the hell out by the end of 2003.
At the same time, we should have responded to Iran's desperate overtures in 2003 to normalize relations. Then, sat back and started playing our Sunni allies in the region against our Shia allies.
The part of the equation that was so stupid was the insane neocon notion of democracy in Iraq.
by hwc on Wed Jun 20, 2007 at 07:21:29 PM PDT
[ Parent ]
see the roses and chocolate being tossed at us?
you sound like you know a lot about mid east politics, a lot more than me
from my vantage point --- saddam was truly despicable (but then again so is George Bush) --- and i am sure most Iraqis are glad he is gone -- but what they have now (thanks to George Bush) seems worse --- thousands dead or missing or injured, you cant walk outside, pent up hatred unleashed, a non working govt, a destroyed infrastructure, a professional class that has fled, and youth growing up in a world of destruction and hatred -- that will forever be aimed at the US....
for what it is worth -- i cant imagine anything we would have done would have made the situation turn out right there thanks George Bush....
there is a special place in hell for you as well
He may talk like an idiot, and look like an idiot, but don't let that fool you: he really is an idiot...Groucho Marx
by distributorcap on Wed Jun 20, 2007 at 07:31:57 PM PDT
Hah. Remember the live video of the Sadaam statue toppling? Well, it turns out that the mob in that square dragging down the statue were Mahdi militia members. They were chanting, "Long live Al Sadr!"
for what it is worth -- i cant imagine anything we would have done would have made the situation turn out right there
You could have had a Shia theocracy in fairly short order after the invasion. The country is 80% Shia and Ayatollah Sistani had tremendous leadership clout at the time. If we had let the Shia wipe out the Sunnis Bathists for us, things could have at least stabilized. Sistani was extremely restrained early on. The Shia were thankful for toppling Sadaam. There was the basis for a "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" working relationship. We needed to do the deal with the Shia and get out. Declare victory and then quickly cut n' run.
But, a Shia theocratic government was unacceptable to us...that's why G. Bush the First didn't proceed to Baghdad in 1991.
by hwc on Wed Jun 20, 2007 at 07:46:12 PM PDT
dad must be SO proud of his scumbag son....... the one that served 'proudly' in the military
by distributorcap on Wed Jun 20, 2007 at 07:49:35 PM PDT
wide narrow
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