Three Years Later

Three Years Later
(cross-posted at firedoglake)

Our nation enters this conflict reluctantly — yet,
our purpose is sure. The people of the United States and our friends and allies
will not live at the mercy of an outlaw regime that threatens the peace with
weapons of mass murder. We will meet that threat now, with our Army, Air Force,
Navy, Coast Guard and Marines, so that we do not have to meet it later with
armies of fire fighters and police and doctors on the streets of our cities.

Now that conflict has come, the only way to limit its
duration is to apply decisive force. And I assure you, this will not be a
campaign of half measures, and we will accept no outcome but victory.

My fellow citizens, the dangers to our country and
the world will be overcome. We will pass through this time of peril and carry
on the work of peace. We will defend our freedom. We will bring freedom to
others and we will prevail.

President Bush – Operation
Iraqi Freedom, March 20, 2003

The number of troops involved in Operation
Swarmer is down from 1500 to 900.
There was not one single firefight. Not one major terrorist nabbed. Nada.

The Republicans deserve to lose their edge on national security and foreign
policy issues.

... “This is not the only poll that is showing
significant problems for Republicans on the generic ballot, significant problems
for the president,” Bolger says.

“We're in a hole, and we're at a point where we've
got to start digging our way out, as opposed to digging deeper.”

It's not uncommon to see polls where Democrats beat
Republicans on domestic issues, such as the economy and jobs, health care
and Social Security. But in this poll, when asked which party they trust more
on issues such as the Iraq war, foreign ownership of U.S. ports and attention
to homeland security, majorities chose the Democrats. …

GOP
Losing Edge on Foreign Policy Issues

Unfortunately, Terror Guy's favorite toy is his shovel.

Three years after Bush launched a preemptive attack in Iraq, the Iraqi people
have voted, they have a parliament, but chose not to choose a president or cabinet,
and Saddam is on trial. What is there left for us to do? Pacification is not
our problem. If the Iraqi people want peace they will have to fight for it themselves.

That said, I must admit I'm not a peaceful soul. We're a gun toting family
and I was born in red state Missouri and raised on John Wayne. Give peace a
chance has never been my refrain. I'm not bragging, believe me, just telling
you the root of my rant. Frankly, I don't trust our neighbors around the world.
Since we invaded Iraq I trust them even less. That's what has me so concerned.
So the mantra of the day for me is give strategic
redeployment a chance.

Three years later, I'm looking at Iran, North Korea
and terrorists in other lands. I'm also starting to worry again about Afghanistan.
Because while Bush has been playing preemption in Iraq, the Taliban
are back, the weather is warming and things are going
to get noisy.

But three years after preemption, we're in Iraq to “stay the course”
until “victory” is achieved. We all remember the promises, the misinformation,
the downright whoppers.

“To suggest that we need several
hundred thousand troops there after military operations cease, after the conflict
ends, I don't think is accurate. I think that's an overstatement.” –
Vice
President Dick Cheney

“There’s a lot of money to
pay for this that doesn’t have to be U.S. taxpayer money, and it starts
with the assets of the Iraqi people…and on a rough recollection, the
oil revenues of that country could bring between $50 and $100 billion over
the course of the next two or three years…We’re dealing with a
country that can really finance its own reconstruction, and relatively soon.”
– Paul Wolfowitz (Source: House Committee on Appropriations
Hearing on a Supplemental War Regulation, 3/27/03)

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld: “I
don't believe that the United States has the responsibility for reconstruction,
in a sense…(Reconstruction) funds can come from those various sources
I mentioned: frozen assets, oil revenues and a variety of other things, including
the Oil for Food, which has a very substantial number of billions of dollars
in it. – Donald Rumsfeld (Source: Senate Appropriations Hearing,
3/27/03)

Q: Mr. Secretary, on Iraq, how much money
do you think the Department of Defense would need to pay for a war with Iraq?
Rumsfeld: Well, the Office of Management and Budget, has come up come up with
a number that's something under $50 billion for the cost. – Donald
Rumsfeld (Sunday, January 19, 2003)

The cost of the Iraq war is now estimated at $1
– 2 TRILLION.

And what of the mismanagement of the post war peace, the down
right incompetence of President Bush and the Republicans to effectively prosecute
the post war planning? I've got my own, but here's a sampling of
Republican incompetence on Iraq.

Failing to build a real international
coalition prior to the Iraq invasion, forcing the US to shoulder the full
cost and consequences of the war.

Approving the demobilization of the Iraqi Army in May,
2003 – bypassing the Joint Chiefs of Staff and reversing an earlier
position, the President left hundreds of thousands of armed Iraqis disgruntled
and unemployed, contributing significantly to the massive security problems
American troops have faced during occupation.

Not equipping troops in Iraq with adequate body armor
or armored HUMVEES.

Ignoring the advice Gen. Eric Shinseki regarding the
need for more troops in Iraq – now Bush is belatedly adding troops,
having allowed the security situation to deteriorate in exactly the way Shinseki
said it would if there were not enough troops.

Ignoring plans drawn up by the Army War College and
other war-planning agencies, which predicted most of the worst security and
infrastructure problems America faced in the early days of the Iraq occupation.

Making a case for war which ignored intelligence that
there were no Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq.

Predicting Iraq would pay for its own reconstruction.

Wildly underestimating the cost of the war.

Disbanding the Sunni Baathist managers responsible
for Iraq's water, electricity, sewer system and all the other critical parts
of that country's infrastructure.

Including discredited intelligence concerning Nigerian
Yellow Cake in his 2003 State of the Union.

Announcing that “major combat operations in Iraq
have ended” aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln on May 1, 2003, below a “Mission
Accomplished” banner – more U.S. soldiers have died in combat since
Bush's announcement than before it.

Having no real plan for the occupation of Iraq.

Shutting down an Iraqi newspaper for “inciting
violence” – the move, which led in short order to street fighting
in Fallujah, incited more violence than the newspaper ever had.

Three years of incompetence on Iraq from President Bush and the Republicans who control Congress. We, our country and
our mighty military, simply cannot afford a fourth.