(Adviser to Condeleeza Rice:) Iraq invasion was a 'f**king stupid idea'

[sabra]

Source: News AU

A FORMER Australian Army officer and adviser to US Secretary of State Condeleeza Rice has called the Iraq invasion a "f**king stupid" idea.

David Kilcullen left the army as a lieutenant colonel in 2005 and has since served as chief advisor to General David Petraeus, who heads the US forces in Iraq, working on the development of the successful troop surge.

Dr Kilcullen's new report Counterinsurgency: A Guide for Policy-Makers argues there are lessons governments could learn to overcome insurgencies, like those faced by US and coaltion forces in Iraq and Afganistan.

He said the Iraq invasion was "f**king stupid" and similar mistakes could, and should, be avoided in the future, The Washington Independent reports.

"The biggest stupid idea was to invade Iraq in the first place," he told the Independent.

...

"Secretary Rice uses me as eyes and ears to cut through the spin. Part of it is that I'm not political. Not Democrat, not Republican. I have no party affiliation in Australia either, so I don't have to say, 'It's all going very well, Mr President.' I just tell it like it is," he said.

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,24096239-2,00.html

[SpiralHawk]

1. "D'oh." - Thousands of dead & maimed American soldiers

May our sons and daughters in uniform rest in honored peace for their sacrifice, offered up in an innocent & trusting spirit of patriotism against the calculated lies & deception of the chickenhawk republicon homelander war profiteers led by Commander AWOL Bush & VP Dickie 'Five Military Deferments' Cheney

[SlingBlade]

4. I don't want to hear the words

IT'S time to let the Nation heal
OR
Our National Nightmare is over

These people are traitors, Murderers, Thief's and Liars
They must be punished or this WILL happen again.

[KansDem]

2. It used to be that "f**king stupid" ideas were met with accountability...

Over 4,000 American troops dead, 10,000s injured, over a million Iraqi dead, over 4 million Iraqi families displaced. All for a "f**king stupid" idea...

Who is going to pay for this?!!!

[primavera]

6. This is Republican America

Land of zero accountability: the only ones who have to pay are the poor and the middle class. The ones who perpetrate the crimes get medals and tax breaks.

[Tesha]

12. You. Me. All of us except the perpetrators. They'll skate, wealthier than ever.

> Who is going to pay for this?!!!

You. Me. All of us except the perpetrators.
They'll skate, wealthier than ever.

Tesha

[RedLetterRev]

3. The Frat-Brat and his spoiled frat-pack will have made another mess

and skip out on responsibility and cleanup just like they always have; spoiled richbrats, who've never done a lick of honest work in their lives, stealing everything that's not nailed down, right down to the paperclips, then expect someone else to come in and pick up the mess. That's how they've lived their entire lives and there's no expecting that to change. My step-dad used to describe people like them as "one honest day's work, a single shot of liquor, and a piece of @$$ in the same 24 hours would prob'ly kill them". Crude, perhaps, but Pop never thought much of pampered lightweights like Shrub and his bois. But Pop was a real, diehard, working-man Democrat from the ground up.

The only justice will be to get the entire lot of them, DLC enablers, RW radio mouthpieces and all, right down to dog-catcher before the Hague.

Heaven knows there's more than enough documentation and proof of crimes. The only thing more f***ing stupid than BushCo committing crimes in broad daylight is a complicit Congress standing by with a thumb in each end, waiting for someone to holler, "SWITCH!"

If not in the name of the Constitution and our beloved nation, will not Congress impeach in the name of common decency? For the love of pete, already (sigh)

[Mandate My Ass]

5. So true

Crimes in broad daylight with complicit congress pretending they're helpless to do anything about it.

Common decency is a thing of the past. We're on our own, evidently.

[VaYallaDawg]

9. Sad thing is, Rev, the extent to which they've duped the American people.

The GOP's majorities in so many state houses across the US reflect that. I couldn't agree with you more, the entire country has been victimized - possibly even terrorized - by the richbrats - but they got in office with the help of the American people.

Who, sadly, have very short memories about how wickedly they have been treated, and will probably re-elect the same crooks.

[RedLetterRev]

10. Hello, neighbor

even worse than the richbrats incompetently running the show, I must agree, are the theatre-media. Really bad stage-effects, even worse writing, and I'm not even sure the audience is listening any more. What's there to listen to, since very little news is being reported. One can't fight that which one can't see -- and it's the pitiful few of us who care to spin the web who know much at all.

My fear is even with the vast amount that we do know, the totality is monumental. Minnie and Jake not only don't have a clue, they couldn't process it if they suddenly did. Therein lies the worse dilemma. If Minnie and Jake realized just how badly they've been scrod, Americans could take to the streets armed with nothing more than salad forks and have this country back from the fascists in about, oh, probably 5 hours or so.

That's simply not going to happen, the fratbrats know it, and woe betide America and the Constitution for it. Our Founder ancestors are whirling in their graves.

Speaking of neighbor, I live about 12 miles south of Danville and will be performing a Union in Disputanta weekend after next. Small world.

[VaYallaDawg]

13. And hello to you too, neighbor!

Disputanta is most definitely rural, to say the least. Hope you enjoy your visit to our commonwealth, and best wishes to the parties to the Union!!

[RedLetterRev]

14. Disputanta is positively the big city

compared to where I live :) But I opted for back-of-the-rural life and haven't regretted it an instant. I live in a very blue county, building up a little farm for my retirement, as green as possible. After 30 years of fast city living (I've been more places than Hank Snow!!), it's good to get back to being a hillbilly again. Indeed, though I get to Danville a couple of times a week, it'll be nice to see what's up Richmond way.

[LiberalFighter]

7. Rice was probably playing her piano while receiving the report.

[Yavin4]

8. Rule No. 1 on Handling Counterinsurgencies

Don't fucking invade a nation that hasn't done anything to you.

[not fooled]

11. Yeah, but what this guy doesn't realize...

...is that all of the successful funneling of $$$ to war-profiteering cronies + stealing the oil = GREAT IDEA if you're one of the crooks that planned this whole thing.

[Diclotican]

15. sabra

sabra

A man or a woman with a half a brain could understand that the Iraq was a fiasco happening long before the US was going to war. Why do you thing we in the millions was out and demonstrating against the war in Europe??. It is the ONLY demostratitation I have ever attend, but it was a demonstrating I would say I was proud to be a part of.

The Iraq war, was not a FUCKING MISTAKE. it was a Horrible Fucking Mistake and it would plague the US for generations to come. If anyone in US believe they could possible clean up this mess that they have been made in Iraq easy they could no be more wrong.. Iraq are today a volatile country with the explosive part of WW3 in the concepts.. No less.. As one expert of this was saying, for 4.6 year ago, when the US occupying in Iraq was fresh and US still had some support in the Iraqi population - after all, you do toppled Saddam Hussain... He warned, on CNN Int at least that if US was not to stabilized ed Iraq after 6 months they would get hell.. US was not capable of stabilize Iraq, and after that US are been getting the holly hell from Iraq. And it would not be easy for any one of the candidates for Presidency in the US to get their soldiers out with honour.. Not now. Even if mr Obama was to use all his political skill, person skill and current knowledge around in the Middle East and beyond to get ready to send the US forces home, it could not be a easy task. If mr Obama was to getting their soldiers home without catastrophic scenes, he would be known as the new Hercules no less.

Every one of the Current Administration, from the president and down should be arrested, and been hold accountable for what they have doing in the 8 year they have been in power. Every single paper of what this administration have been doing should be send over to an criminal prosecutor. Either in the US or in the hands of the International Criminal Court..

6.3 billion US dollar are wasted in this war - at this moment. And after 5 year with Iraq war, the sum US used in the WHOLE VIETNAM WAR are been spending in Iraq.. And the Vietnam war was between 1960 and 1975... How long can US possible make war in Iraq, before they are broke. Or at least your creditors are telling they don't trust the bonds you are giving them..

Diclotican

Sorry my bad english,not my native language