Wolfowitz Concedes Iraq Errors

[zimv20]

link (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A37468-2003Jul23.html?nav=hptop_ts)


The deputy secretary of defense said yesterday that some key assumptions underlying the U.S. occupation of Iraq were wrong, tacitly acknowledging the judgment of current and former U.S. officials critical of the occupation planning.

Paul D. Wolfowitz, briefing reporters after a 41/2-day trip to Iraq, said that in postwar planning, defense officials made three assumptions that "turned out to underestimate the problem," beginning with the belief that removing Saddam Hussein from power would also remove the threat posed by his Baath Party. In addition, they erred in assuming that significant numbers of Iraqi army units, and large numbers of Iraqi police, would quickly join the U.S. military and its civilian partners in rebuilding Iraq, he said.

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[Backtothemac]

Well, everyone needs to realize that war is just that war. Nothing ever goes as planned during war. Mistakes will always be made. The final outcome however is what is important.

[mactastic]

Yeah the one way for Bush et. al. to quell the growing voices of criticism is to admit the errors that were made, show that they are learning from them, etc. Everyone knows all bets are off once the war starts, so there can't be much valid criticism there. Denials and stonewalling the media/opposition just makes things worse.