Comments on: POOR PRIOR PLANNING

By: Dave

Dave — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

I've heard (possibly here) the notion floated that we expected to spend significantly longer on the way to Baghdad... I suppose the followup to that is that they figured they could lay groundwork on the local level as we worked our way in towards Baghdad.

You tend not to plan for getting Part A done faster than you thought possible, I suppose. *shrugs*

By: Kevin Drum

Kevin Drum — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

Maybe, but my recollection is that Baghdad fell maybe a couple of weeks faster than we thought. That's not really a big difference.

The funny thing is that I quite agree with James that we don't really know how to do this and will have to muddle through. I don't even have a big problem with that. But even so, you'd think there would have been a lot of planning. Maybe it would have ended up being bad planning, but you'd think there would have been something.

By: Michael Gersh

Michael Gersh — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

This is just another case that shows that government can't get anything done with efficiency. Also that they plan for almost nothing, just put out fires. It's the military that usually plans, but nation building isn't their job (until now).

By: Paul

Paul — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

hmmmmm Kevin claims....

t's become common knowledge since the end of the war that the Pentagon did virtually no planning for postwar Iraq,

To whom? It is "common knowledge?"

I would call it an allegation at best.

Was he in the Pentagon?

The rebuilding of Iraq is go FAR FASTER after this war than it went after the first Gulf War when Saddam was in charge.

90% of the coutry is effectivley back to normal. Really it is only Baghdad that is still a mess and again, it is better off 3 mos after this war then it war 1 year after the last.

This is simply Kevin trying to covert spin into reality.

What has been achived both on and off the battlefield has been breathtaking. Remember, during the war we were losing it too. The critics have accuratly predicted 58 of the 2 problems we have had.

sigh

Paul

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