Iraq war planning wholly irresponsible...Rumsfeld and Bremer "intellectually bankrupt"!!!

[malaise]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/mar/17/iraq-war-planning-wholly-irresponsible
<snip>
The way Britain was led into war with Iraq 10 years ago was "wholly irresponsible" and the lack of intelligence on the country a national disgrace, senior military figures have told the Guardian.

Though they direct their fire principally at the Bush administration, they make clear the Blair government must share a lot of the blame.

Donald Rumsfeld, US defence secretary at the time, had a "lot to answer for", Guthrie added, referring to the way Rumsfeld, notorious for his "stuff happens" description of widespread looting in Baghdad, allowed Paul Bremer, the US chief administrator – in effect the US governor of Iraq after the invasion – to ban the Ba'ath party and dismantle the Iraqi army.

"Why did Bremer squash any sense of the Iraqi people taking any role in their own destiny?" asked Air Chief Marshal Sir Brian Burridge, commander of British forces in Iraq at the time of the invasion. "That defies logic."

General Sir Mike Jackson, head of the army at the time, described Rumsfeld and Bremer as "intellectually bankrupt". With other British defence chiefs, he expected and wanted Iraqi military units, including Saddam Hussein's Republican Guard, to remain in place and help maintain law and order in Iraq after the invasion.
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Intellectually bankrupt is kind.

[TwilightGardener]

1. Of course they were intellectually bankrupt--but Bush and Cheney are primarily responsible.

The buck stops with THEM.

[malaise]

2. I agree 100%

[TwilightGardener]

7. I can see the revisionist history machine cranking up, protecting figures like Blair and Junior

and FiveDeferments by throwing cabinet members and underlings under the bus. Not that Rummy doesn't deserve the poo flung his way, mind you...

[PDJane]

3. Intellectually and morally bankrupt.

The crazies should have been left in the basement. That was true of Cheney and Bush, too; they were part of that group from the beginning.

This was a mistake that can't be wiped out, no matter how the bush bunch attempt to expunge the record.

[malaise]

4. They should be sent into the dungeon

for war crimes

[PDJane]

6. I'll accept that too, provided the dungeon is at the Hague.

[malaise]

8. Yes that's the place for them n/t

[malaise]

5. Nice link here

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/series/iraq-war-10-years-on

[AnotherMcIntosh]

9. What are the odds that someone made a lot of money on this?

Including those who not don't care whether others call them "morally bankrupt."?

[malaise]

10. I would say 1/9

'made money' doesn't describe the profits from that illegal invasion and occupation.
Men got filthy rich.