Pace: Mistakes were made at beginning of Iraq war

[babylonsister]

Pace: Mistakes were made at beginning of Iraq war


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- If he knew then what he knows now, he might have made some different decisions before the start of the Iraq war in 2003, the outgoing chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told reporters Friday.

Outgoing Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Peter Pace says he now thinks more troops were needed at the war's start.

"One of the mistakes I made in my assumptions going in was that the Iraqi people and the Iraqi Army would welcome liberation, that the Iraqi Army, given the opportunity, would stand together for the Iraqi people and be available to them to help serve the new nation," Gen. Peter Pace said.

But "they disintegrated in the face of the coalition's first several weeks of combat, so they weren't here," Pace said.

Had he known that would happen, he would have recommended more troops be sent at the outset of the Iraq war, he said.

In addition, Pace said, if he had been asked in January 2006 whether the United States should build up its Army and Marine Corps contingents in Iraq, he would have said no, because the plan at the time was to build and equip an Iraqi Army and turn over security duties to it.

more...

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/09/14/pace.iraq/index.html?eref=rss_us

[iamjoy]

1. Talk About Understatement

that's the understatement of the year.

The more accurate statement is "We royally f'ed up"

[babylonsister]

2. But they're loathe to take any real responsibilty-same as it ever was. nt

[Drifter]

3. One tiny little mistake ...

The decision to invade.

Cheers
Drifter

[liberal N proud]

4. It is the only mistake that matters

[pampango]

5. Right. Mistakes are made in every war. The war itself is the mistake in this case. n/t