Paul Bremer: How I Didn’t Dismantle Iraq’s Army

[RamboLiberal]

“The Iraqi Army of the future cannot be an extension of the present army, which has been made into a tool of dictatorship.” — Report by the Department of State’s Future of Iraq Project, May 2002

IT has become conventional wisdom that the decision to disband Saddam Hussein’s army was a mistake, was contrary to American prewar planning and was a decision I made on my own. In fact the policy was carefully considered by top civilian and military members of the American government. And it was the right decision.

By the time Baghdad fell on April 9, 2003, the Iraqi Army had simply dissolved. On April 17 Gen. John Abizaid, the deputy commander of the Army’s Central Command, reported in a video briefing to officials in Washington that “there are no organized Iraqi military units left.” The disappearance of Saddam Hussein’s old army rendered irrelevant any prewar plans to use that army. So the question was whether the Coalition Provisional Authority should try to recall it or to build a new one open to both vetted members of the old army and new recruits. General Abizaid favored the second approach.

In the weeks after General Abizaid’s recommendation, the coalition’s national security adviser, Walter Slocombe, discussed options with top officials in the Pentagon, including Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz. They recognized that to recall the former army was a practical impossibility because postwar looting had destroyed all the bases.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/06/opinion/06bremer.html?hp

[pinto]

1. The slow unraveling of post invasion/occupation decisions continues.

A measure of success, in a way for the speed of communication today, FOIA actions, leaks and such. The history of VietNam decisions took years to unravel, iirc.

(aside) And Bremer was the guy who enacted the umbrella protection for contractors from lawsuits in Iraqi courts, while head of the CPA.

[frogcycle]

2. the LIHOP looting, you mean

This prick Walter Slocombe Bremer refers to is interviewed extensively about this in "No End in Sight." He is caught in several lies.

Slocombe had no clue what was going on on the ground; had not been to Iraq. He dispatched Bremer with orders to disband the army. bush and rumsfeld were behind it. They are ALL lying sacks of shit.

[HowHasItComeToThis]

3. HEY L. PAUL, WHO MASTERMINDED THE LOOTING OF IRAQ????

WAS IT HEALABURRTON?????????????

[charlie]

4. The army had "simply dissolved" by April 9

Then why did you write Bush on May 23 about your intention to "dissolve" the military to show you "mean business"? And if dissolution meant they were irretrievable, why didn't you have trouble recruiting from the disbanded Mukhabarat months later, you lying fucktard?

[RamboLiberal]

5. Kick for the day crowd

:kick:

[Nikki Stone1]

6. The fall guy for Junior's decision

Nothing much more than that