RE: The Ugly American Response

Romanizzo

Thanks. Very interesting and food for thought. I usually have respect for STRATFOR analysis. I have to say though that this one does smack a bit of: "Hell, after 911 we have to make war on someone so lets pick the worst Arab bastard and attack him."

The second option consisted of trying to create what we called the "coalition of the coerced," Islamic countries prepared to cooperate in the covert war against al Qaeda.

You would have to admit that if that was the objective then the mission has been an abject failure.

It is interesting to see what STRATFOR is saying about the war now.The invasion of Iraq probably was a mistake, and certainly its execution was disastrous.

also: The motivation for the war, as we wrote, had to do with forcing Saudi Arabia to become more cooperative in the fight against al Qaeda by demonstrating that the United States actually was prepared to go to extreme measures. The United States invaded to change the psychology of the region, which had a low regard for American power. It also invaded to occupy the most strategic country in the Middle East, one that bordered seven other key countries.

The finance world is now trying to pin the blame for the debt crisis on the war. The case is made ins this article in business spectator. So I am not a lone voice on that.

I concede that my position now reeks of being wise after the event, but I truly did believe that the Iraq invasion was a mistake at the time.

Perhaps it was simply an honest mistake by a naive new President keen to 'bring the perpetrators of 911 to justice' and not at all influenced by the oil lobby. Even if we can swallow that one whole, is such a mistake tolerable given the huge intelligence resources available to guide the Chief in such decisions? What should he do when he realises that it was a mistake?

I guess it is all just history now and there will continue to be diverse opinions on the invasion of Iraq.

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