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View Full Version : Why we are losing in Iraq



OldCorpse
Apr 14, 2007, 03:46 AM
The centerpiece of our long term success in Iraq, was supposed to be reconstruction. It was also supposed to drain the insurgency by providing jobs to the local youths. Why has reconstruction failed? Illuminating article below. Shocking - or not - the U.S. government has not only not learned the hard won lessons of the people we sent to supervise the reconstruction, but actually nobody in the U.S. government is in the least interested in learning anything at all from the experienced veterans of those operations. We are doomed to fail.

Smoke and Mirrors

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200704u/iraq-state-department


Queso
Apr 14, 2007, 04:13 AM
Reconstruction was a priority? I thought this was about funnelling cash into the US war machine. Halliburton etc. didn't ever have to actually do anything except get paid.
skunk
Apr 14, 2007, 07:47 AM
Reconstruction has failed because it isn't all about money.
srf4real
Apr 14, 2007, 07:53 AM
I thought the failure had something to do with the lack of security, and no desire on the part of Iraq's people to get along with each other...:confused:
skunk
Apr 14, 2007, 07:59 AM
I thought the failure had something to do with the lack of security, and no desire on the part of Iraq's people to get along with each other...:confused:Why should the Iraqis be happy to accept largesse from their invaders, especially when it is doled out with such corruption?
MACDRIVE
Apr 14, 2007, 08:07 AM
It all started when the Iraqi Army was suddenly out of a job and with no pension benefits; however, they found a new way to occupy their time in the form of a Sunni insurgency. If I was in their position I'd be mad as hell too. :cool:
skunk
Apr 14, 2007, 08:10 AM
It all started when the Iraqi Army was suddenly out of a job and with no pension benefits; however, they found a new way to occupy their time in the form of a Sunni insurgency. If I was in their position I'd be mad as hell too. :cool:How do the Shiites fit in with that theory?
MACDRIVE
Apr 14, 2007, 08:50 AM
How do the Shiites fit in with that theory?

The Shiites never had a job in Saddam's Army so I don't know.
skunk
Apr 14, 2007, 08:53 AM
The Shiites never had a job in Saddam's Army so I don't know.Well, doesn't your theory have to answer the whole question to be valid?
MACDRIVE
Apr 14, 2007, 09:29 AM
Well, doesn't your theory have to answer the whole question to be valid?

Well, I'm thinking that if Saddam's Army was happy to begin with, there would've been no need to start an insurgency and the whole country would've been calm. As it were, it's like striking a match and the then holding that match to the rest of the book of matches.