Comments on: U.S. No Longer Expects Democracy in Iraq

By: LJD

LJD — Tue, 16 Aug 2005 11:43:42 +0000

"If weâd invested in proper manning of Phase IV, the insurgency wouldnât be where it is today." Says you and your crystal ball... Shinkseki saying that "A" would occur if "B" did not happen, and then "A" occurring, does not necessarily establish cause and effect. I caught you spreading propaganda, with an unrelated article. Dumbocrat, liberal, or not, if you want to make your point, back it up. There's enough negative press out there without people making shit up.

By: anonymous

anonymous — Mon, 15 Aug 2005 19:50:50 +0000

LJD - Remember the overall campaign was not based on just the capitulation of the Iraqi Army. Do you recall Phase IV of the operation? That was the part that failed miserably due to inadequate forces which Eric Shinseki warned of. I don't need no stinkin' article by anyone to validate my view. If we'd invested in proper manning of Phase IV, the insurgency wouldn't be where it is today.

By: LJD

LJD — Mon, 15 Aug 2005 16:00:51 +0000

Anon-

If you continually act like a liberal, at some point people will associate you with them.

First, I did not call YOU or any one else a name. I merely typified the argument you were making.

Second, if you want to argue that the occupation cannot be seperated from the invasion, then come up with an article that references just that. Don't try to pass off something unrelated, said before the war, as some prediction of the aftermath.

By: matthewstinson.net

matthewstinson.net — Mon, 15 Aug 2005 15:54:03 +0000

On Cindy Sheehan

Living abroad makes a blogger less inclined to write about the latest and greatest political debates in America, the majority of which aren’t truly great, and all of which will lose their novelty in a matter of days. Among the stories I’v...

By: anonymous

anonymous — Mon, 15 Aug 2005 14:15:59 +0000

LJD, please refrain from the name calling. You don't know my political affiliation. I have a problem with the war, so do many conservatives. You're more mentally and morally bankrupt if you believe you can separate the removal of Saddam from the aftermath. The force planning (or lack thereof)for the war and the ensuing occupation despite the warning of people who knew better (ala GEN Shinseki) was a failure. No matter what shade of lipstick this pig is wearing, it's still a pig.

By: One Hand Clapping » Blog Archive » Not really news, I think

One Hand Clapping » Blog Archive » Not really news, I think — Mon, 15 Aug 2005 12:59:15 +0000

[...] James Joyner writes that the “U.S. No Longer Expects Democracy in Iraq,” but I think he’s made a mistake in assuming that the US ever did expect it. Says James, The Washington Post this morning fronts a long piece by Robin Wright and Ellen Knickmeyer with reports from unnamed officials who say the U.S. has lowered its aims in Iraq from a thriving democracy to an Islamist republic that can grow into a democracy one day. The Post piece is entitled, “U.S. Lowers Sights On What Can Be Achieved in Iraq.”The Bush administration is significantly lowering expectations of what can be achieved in Iraq, recognizing that the United States will have to settle for far less progress than originally envisioned during the transition due to end in four months, according to U.S. officials in Washington and Baghdad. The United States no longer expects to see a model new democracy, a self-supporting oil industry or a society in which the majority of people are free from serious security or economic challenges, U.S. officials say. “What we expected to achieve was never realistic given the timetable or what unfolded on the ground,” said a senior official involved in policy since the 2003 invasion. “We are in a process of absorbing the factors of the situation we’re in and shedding the unreality that dominated at the beginning.”Not so fast. I think issue can be taken that this official is very accurately relating what many other officials in the administration had been saying all along. (But we need remember that there has not ever been unanimity among the administration’s area experts and foreign service on the extent democracy could take root in Iraq.) [...]

By: LJD

LJD — Mon, 15 Aug 2005 12:50:10 +0000

Typical bait and switch, left-wing argument. Let's try to stay on subject here. The article referenced clearly refers to the removal of Saddam Hussein from power, and the "liberation" that took place in the first phase of the war, not the occupation. Here's a news flash: It WAS a "cake-walk".

By: anonymous

anonymous — Mon, 15 Aug 2005 11:55:14 +0000

Do a google for "Iraq" and "cakewalk" and see what you get. Like this

By: LJD

LJD — Mon, 15 Aug 2005 11:33:27 +0000

Reality check, people. The post was about the U.S. no longer expecting democracy in Iraq.

This situation has developed with the free exchange of ideas in Iraq's provisional government- something that has NEVER happened before. Now, they are to choose their own form of government, and take responsibility for it. No one could have forseen, exactly, how this process would play out.

This is not about the "Bush crimes", this is not even about the U.S. We are only providing the opportunity for this exchange to occur. We are accomplishing things that are unprecedented in history.

Interesting how bad the lefties want to impose their special kind of socialism on this M.E. nation. As for those who cannot collect their thoughts in only one post, or who don't follow the subject matter, interesting how much you have to say sitting in your comfortable home, relatively free from danger, and enjoying the protections of OUR constitution.

By: AnjinSan

AnjinSan — Mon, 15 Aug 2005 09:03:45 +0000

You know, I can't wonder what Jesus would have to say about the thousands of innocents Bush's war has killed in Iraq. I mean would Bush's supporters really want to know?

By: anjinSan

anjinSan — Mon, 15 Aug 2005 08:55:51 +0000

OK Herb I guess you are as ignorant as you sound.

By: Herb

Herb — Mon, 15 Aug 2005 02:47:18 +0000

Well, it's about my bedtime and I think I am going to retire as so as I watch the local news.

I would like for everyone to know that I have had a wonderful day. I started today feeling very good and then turned on to read OTB like I do everyday. low and behold, I read this article and observed the comments. I just couldn't pass this chance up and have a good laugh, so I made a comment of my own. And as expected I started to read comments from the Jane and Joe Fondas of the world. It was then that I thought that I would like for everyone to really get a good look at the looney left. They did not disappoint me, they came out in droves. It really made my day and I want to thank those lefty looneys that obliged. So now, I will retire knowing full well that I at least got the liberals worked up and and had some great amusement in doing so.. mighty mite.

By: Herb

Herb — Mon, 15 Aug 2005 01:03:31 +0000

Oh yeah,
"there was a fairly advanced civilization in the Muslim world while Europeans were mired in the dark ages"

They sure are advanced now.

Killing innocent women and children

producing suicide bombers

Beheading anyone that disagrees with them.

Cutting the hands off people.

Tell me they are civilized ?
tell me all about this advanced civilization?

By: Anderson

Anderson — Mon, 15 Aug 2005 00:44:11 +0000

My goodness.

What would it take for you people to admit that Bush has failed at anything?

What would it take?

Are you able to imagine anything that would make you say "Wow, Bush really fouled this up, and it's all his fault?"

Because if not, there is something a little psychopathic here, in the strict sense of "divorced from reality."

By: Rob

Rob — Sun, 14 Aug 2005 22:37:41 +0000

Here's a document dating back to '03 citing "cakewalk"; not a direct quote, but O'Hanlon's a pretty smart dude, he doesn't just make stuff up.

http://www.brookings.edu/views/op-ed/ohanlon/20030328.htm