could it be Hussein actually knew what he was doing?

[maggrwaggr]

As far as running Iraq, perhaps Saddam Hussein knew that the only way to run the place was ruthlessly and with an iron fist.

Perhaps it's inevitable in Iraq that a leader of the country is such a man.

Just a thought.

All I see now is a desire on the part of Bremer and those who support him to do an American version of Saddam's dictatorial powers.

CRUSH THEM! people are saying.

Hmmmmm. "what would Saddam have done?"

[KissMyAsscroft]

1. Thats one of the reasons I opposed the invasion...

The only reason I would support attacking Iraq would be if there was an imminent threat from Saddam.

I knew that managing that hellhole would be a disaster. We would have to be just as bad as Saddam. We already shoot into crowds of protestors. We jail people with no cause, we perform summary executions...right now we have just taken Saddam's place.

[mikey_1962]

2. Absolute power corrupts absolutely

[Minstrel Boy]

3. The objection with Saddam was never that he was ruthless.

It was that he had gone "rogue." That is, his brutality was no longer in the service of United States interests.

Wanted: someone of whom the US can say "He's a bastard, but he's our bastard."

Damned ugly, bloody world, eh?

[RobertSeattle]

4. Or split Iraq into 3

North for the Kurds
Middle for the Sunnis
South for the Shiites.

I think the main problem is that we INVADED Iraq with TOO FEW troops. If we would have invaded properly (See WWII Invasions), we would have had 250K+ troops. If we could have quickly taken control of all the munition dumps, prevented the riots, and not screwed up the utilities, our job would be much easier. But the hubris of the WH "who knew better" got us into this screw-up.

[Kanary]

5. Is this Kerry's "The Right Way To Go Into Iraq"? n/t

:puke:

[atreides1]

8. Back To The Future

Your first idea is good, as it would return the country to its original make-up before the British created Iraq.

As for putting 250k American troops on the ground, that would have required draining both the active/reserves/ and guard units, not to mention the strain on the Marines.

You have to remember that the US military only has a small percentage
of ground combat troops, which are in the US Army and the USMC, the majority of both services are support troops.

As for the USN and the USAF, ships don't float in the desert, and you can't take a city with just air units.

Of course it would have helped if the WH "experts" had made sure that
all the supplies needed were already on the ground, like it was in Desert Storm, but they refused to listen to the military.

Then again, I think that by the time they decided to invade, the WH had retired the real generals/admirals, and put their uniformed puppets in charge.

[orwell]

6. Bush I

This was actually the thinking behind the Bush I Regime's reticence to topple Saddam. They feared it would lead to a power vacuum that could only strengthen Iran's influence.

O

[skypilot]

7. You beat me to it.

I wonder what dad is thinking about his son's actions these days. George Sr. has been conspicuously silent on the matter.

[fairfaxvadem]

9. Short answer: Yes...

Although he was a thug by any definition...

In addition, the cat and mouse w/the inspectors was never about the West, it was all about controlling the populace. As long as the populace believed he was strong, standing up to the West, blah, blah, blah, and if we also thought he had WMDs, well, that was just gravy.

The whole thing w/Saddam was based on his domestic control and we got sucker-played, "Big Time".

clinton and Blair bombed the heck out of that country for years. What did Bush think was left?

[David__77]

10. Absolutely not--Saddam Hussein was stamped "MADE IN USA."

The reason for the fascist Saddam Hussein government in Iraq was it's support by the US over the years.

It's well-known that the Ba'athists overthrew the democratic republic with the active support of the CIA in 1963.

The US is responsible for a lot of the lack of liberty in that region.

[0007]

11. Saddam Hussein had many fears, the biggest two were

the U.S. and Iran. He would have been a great poker player.

[hexola]

12. Indeed - I suspect we are studying how he did it very carefully...

I agree completely...

My other beef always was - the guy is in his 60's - he couldn't hold to power much longer...so why not wait until he has to give it up...I dont think power transfers in Dictatorships that easily...Take advantage of that moment of weakness to forment dissent and push for a revolution...

[Old and In the Way]

13. Good news is that got democracy.

Bad news is that they have no consensus to support it.

Ultimately, I think we have created the seeds for Iraq's dissolution. It will end up breaking into 4 states. 4th state being Halliburtonstan.