In Iraq, Military Forgot the Lessons of Vietnam

[ProSense]

In Iraq, Military Forgot the Lessons of Vietnam

Early Missteps by U.S. Left Troops Unprepared for Guerrilla Warfare

By Thomas E. Ricks
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, July 23, 2006; A13

The real war in Iraq -- the one to determine the future of the country -- began on Aug. 7, 2003, when a car bomb exploded outside the Jordanian Embassy, killing 11 and wounding more than 50.

That bombing came almost exactly four months after the U.S. military thought it had prevailed in Iraq, and it launched the insurgency, the bloody and protracted struggle with guerrilla fighters that has tied down the United States to this day.

Snip...

But there is also strong evidence, based on a review of thousands of military documents and hundreds of interviews with military personnel, that the U.S. approach to pacifying Iraq in the months after the collapse of Hussein helped spur the insurgency and made it bigger and stronger than it might have been.

The very setup of the U.S. presence in Iraq undercut the mission. The chain of command was hazy, with no one individual in charge of the overall American effort in Iraq, a structure that led to frequent clashes between military and civilian officials.

On May 16, 2003, L. Paul Bremer III, the chief of the Coalition Provisional Authority, the U.S.-run occupation agency, had issued his first order, "De-Baathification of Iraq Society." The CIA station chief in Baghdad had argued vehemently against the radical move, contending that, "By nightfall, you'll have driven 30,000 to 50,000 Baathists underground. And in six months, you'll really regret this."

He was proved correct, as Bremer's order, along with a second that dissolved the Iraqi military and national police, created a new class of disenfranchised, threatened leaders.

more...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/22/AR2006072200444.html?nav=rss_world/mideast/iraq

[rodeodance]

1. pass this onto the "Lessons Learned" czar at the WH.

[rodeodance]

2. I emailed Ricks here:

http://projects.washingtonpost.com/staff/email/thomas+e.+ricks/

[cbugle]

3. Chickenhawks

How would they even know the lessons of Vietnam??? No one from this administration was there!

[ProSense]

7. Welcome! Good point! n/t

[newyawker99]

8. Hi cbugle!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[ProSense]

4. "Iraq as a political project is finished"

Iraq holds reconciliation talks amid skepticism

By Mariam Karouny
Sat Jul 22, 6:58 AM ET

Snip...

"Iraq as a political project is finished," a top government official told Reuters on Friday -- anonymously because the coalition led by Maliki remains committed in public to a U.S.- sponsored constitution preserving Iraq's unity.

Iraqi and U.S. officials now believe sectarian militias are killing more Iraqis and pose a greater security threat than the insurgency -- though this is still a major destabilizing force.

Snip...

U.S. officials insist Iraq is not on the brink of civil war, saying Maliki is pushing ahead with reconciliation efforts and that most Iraqis do not want their country divided along sectarian lines.

The top U.S. commander for the Middle East said on Friday that escalating sectarian violence in Baghdad had become a bigger problem than the insurgency and that plans were being drawn up to move more troops to the capital, according to a report in Saturday's New York Times.

more...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060722/wl_nm/iraq_dc_43

Iraq mosque bombs kill two

By Ahmed Rasheed and Mariam Karouny
Fri Jul 21, 12:50 PM ET

On the eve of a high-profile meeting intended to demonstrate reconciliation among sectarian and ethnic factions before a White House visit by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, leaders admitted despair on the chances of averting all-out civil war.

"Iraq as a political project is finished," a top government official told Reuters -- anonymously because the coalition led by the Shi'ite Muslim prime minister remains committed in public to a U.S.-sponsored constitution preserving Iraq's unity.

"The parties have moved to Plan B," said the official, adding blocs representing Sunnis, Kurds and majority Shi'ites were looking at ways to divide power and resources and to solve the conundrum of Baghdad's mixed population of seven million.

Snip...

Officials and delegates from a range of political, tribal, regional and religious groups will meet in Baghdad's fortified Green Zone government compound on Saturday for the inaugural meeting of the National Reconciliation Commission.

more...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060721/wl_nm/iraq_dc_40

[LeftCoast]

5. They didn't forget. They ignored them!

I distinctly remember people mentioning Vietnam at the beginning and even before this conflict. They were told it was a totally different situation. Sand versus jungle, etc.

[ProSense]

6. Losing an Army (dangerously overextended)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=1709936&mesg_id=1709936