I just caught an interview that Al Franken did today with Michael Gordon, chief military correspondent for the NYT and co-author of
Cobra II (with Marine Major General Bernard Trainor). Gordon was embedded with the US Army in Iraq (including the first seige of Fallujah). I'm going to the library tomorrow to get this book, because the recent history of Iraq presented in it is nothing short of damning to Bush. It details the bad decision making that formed the foundations of the current state of Iraq.
Franken and Gordon were talking about one incident, one bad decision, that proves Bush is the occupier, not the liberator.
I'm sorry, I don't have any text of the book to cut and paste, just my memory of the conversation. Franken and Gordon were speaking about decisions, made by Bush, regarding post combat Iraq. It was soon after the invasion and fall of Iraq. US military forces responsible for the Shiite holy city of Najaf were helping the citizens organize an election for city leaders. Doing the right thing, right? Paul Bremer got wind of this and sent word to the US military commanders that the election was to be halted immediately. The commanders were devastated. Instead of cancelling the election, they postponed it and went to Baghdad to meet with Bremer and make their case for allowing the election to go on. Bremer sent an underling to meet with them, not even bothering to attend to this significant matter (at least it seems that way to me). The underling refused the commanders request and explained that the CPA had done a poll and determined that
the wrong person would win. One of the city's religious leaders was forecast to win the election. Imagine that, the citizens of the city of a major religious shrine would choose to elect a religious leader in a country where they had been oppressed partly because of their religious affiliation.
George Bush and his minions constantly bleat that critics of his administration's policies are sending the wrong message. I submit to you, that the political machinations of Bush in Iraq sent the wrong message to Iraqis. They knew that liberators do not suppress elections of those they claim to free. That decision sent the wrong message: the US is an occupier, not a liberator.