General Odom on Iraq Myths 0
General Odom (Lt. Gen., USA, ret., former Director of the NSA) enumerates six myths about Iraq, and proceeds to demolish them.
Below is his list of “Truths” that contradict each of the myths. Follow the link to see his reasoning. Each of these items is used to excuse the Current Federal Administration’s misguided adventurism in entering Iraq, phenomenal incompetence while there, and bull-headed determination to fix things by doing the same thing harder.
I did quote his reasoning for “Truth No. 3,” because it speaks directly to the immorality of this whole darn endeavor:
Truth No. 2: There was no way to have “done it right” in Iraq so that U.S. war aims could have been achieved.
Truth No. 3: The theory that “we broke it and therefore we own it,” with all the moral baggage it implies, is simply untrue because it is not within U.S. power to “fix it.”
The president’s cheerleaders in the run-up to the war now use this theory to rationalize our continued presence in Iraq, and in that way avoid admitting that they share the guilt for the crime of breaking Iraq in the first place.
Truth No. 4: The demand that the administration engage Iran and Syria directly, asking them to help stabilize Iraq, is patently naïve or cynically irresponsible until American forces begin withdrawing – and rapidly – so that there is no ambiguity about their complete and total departure.
Truth No. 5: The United States cannot prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Truth No. 6: It is simply not possible to prevent more tragic Iraqi deaths in Iraq.
How grievously the politicians and pundits, the hypocrits and hype-artists, who foisted this fraud upon us, have stained our society, our sons and daughters who serve honorably, our sacred honor.
