First off, we did not lose this war, we lost the occupation. The United States Military Forces kicked the teeth in of any legitimate Iraqi armed resistance in our march to Baghdad. As with all our political wars, it was lost in Washington. Through actions, and mostly inactions, the crucial window after the toppling Saddam Hussein was closed by gross incompetence of the Bush Administration.
First rule of an occupation is to secure the capital, and the first Americans to arrive in Baghdad realized that security on the streets was the first major concern. With the Saddam loyalist either dead or on the run in the Iraqi Army, those that stayed on post were they for their country and people. Col. Paul Hughes, part of the Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance, said these Iraqi generals stood ready to offer entire brigades of soldiers to help pacify and police troubled areas.
It would have been Iraqis patrolling and protecting Iraqis for the security of Iraq. You know, the golden calf often spoken of today as the Iraqi Security Force. Instead, Paul Bremer decided to disband the only command and control structure that included all three major players, the Shi'ites, the Sunnis and the Kurds. These men were not only turned away from helping their own people, they were sent home angry, without a job and heavily armed. A dangerous combination with chaos rampant in the streets.
That was the moment of no return for George Walker Bush's failed occupation of Iraq. History is already judging President Bush, and the disbanded of the Iraqi Army should be pinned to his chest as a medal of utter, and complete, failure.
If you don't take my word for it, go see "No End in Sight". which features Colonel Hughes and others like Lt. Gen. Jay Garner who tell exactly how this went down in Baghdad.
Directed by Charles Ferguson, this documentary should be on your must see list:
http://noendinsightmovie.com/
Makes you wonder, was it gross negligence, or a grand plan to rake in war profits, oil revenue and other things that only history will discovery.
All I know is a lot of people got medals for absurdly bad decisions. But make your own decisions and go see this movie:
http://movies.aol.com/...