Iraq War: They should have thought this through just a little better

"I think we are winning.  Okay?  I think we're definitely winning.  I think we've been winning for some time." - Gen. Richard Myers, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on the Iraq War 04/26/05

"I just wonder if they will ever tell us the truth." - Harold Casey, Louisville, KY, October 2004.

This news analysis by Gareth Porter is a reminder of how reckless the Bush administration was in its invasion of Iraq: Bush Seeks His Enemies' Help in Iraq Inter Press Service 01/16/06.

Porter is writing about the dilemma in which the Bush administration now finds itself.  The Shi'a parties that govern Iraq as the chief beneficiaries so far of the US intervention tend to lean heavily to Iran in foreign policy.  He observes:

Iran held a strong and possibly decisive influence in Iraq because of its close ties with militant Shiite political-military groups. The extent of that influence was driven home last July when Iraq's Defence Minister Saadoun Dulaimi, on a visit to the Iranian capital, discussed possible military cooperation between the two countries, only to back away under U.S. pressure.

But U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad recognised that it might be necessary to use Iran's influence to induce more moderate behaviour by the Shiite parties.

Meanwhile, U.S. officials figured out, belatedly, that Sunni insurgent organisations could actually help advance U.S. interests in eliminating terrorist havens in Iraq, as well as limiting Iranian influence.

They recognised that the secular and Baathist Sunni insurgent leaders are strongly opposed to the Zarqawi organisation's ideology and tactics, and have even clashed with the al Qaeda-related groups on some occasions.

Furthermore, like the Sunni political leaders who ran in the December parliamentary elections, the leaders of Sunni insurgent groups are strongly opposed to Iranian influence in Iraq. Thus, the Sunnis fightingagainst the occupation actually represented potential allies.

War, the Republican Party way.  Nothing quite like it.

But the Bush administration, with its arrogance and lack of understanding and very excessive face in military power as an instrument of diplomacy, have passed up some real chances to advance diplomatic solutions to some of the most serious problems in the Middle East.  And to open up avenues for disengagement of American troops from Iraq.

 "Wars are easy to get into, but hard as hell to get out of." - George McGovern and Jim McGovern 06/06/05