War in Iraq a mistake? (Richard Clarke)

[gottaB]

What kind of foreign policy blunder was the invasion of Iraq? Richard Clarke on Charlie Rose said there are essentially two realistic views: mistake, or colossal mistake.

Which is it?

[ThirdWheelLegend]

1. We knew it well before it started..It was NOT a mistake

Alot of us on DU were questioning it the first moment the admin mentioned Iraq. We knew the WMD claims were all lies. It was not a mistake, this war was conducted on PURPOSE by PNACers who care about their CEO friends and world domination more than the people of this world. THIS WAS NO MISTAKE. IT WAS PLANNED AND CARRIED OUT BY WAR CRIMINALS.

TWL

[gottaB]

2. I guess the question you might ask would be

What sort of mistake is it to allow criminal conspirators to dictate this area of foreign policy?

Is it like Vietnam? Iran-Contra? Something else?

Maybe there's some other way of putting it. I think the consensus emerging is that nothing that has been gained so far has been worth the costs. Nothing.

Even if you suspect, quite reasonably, that the invasion was a crude resource grab on behalf of BFEE cronies, it's still hard to justify, because it's possible to envision it being executed more smoothly and with fewer negative consequences. Whatever else it is, it's definitely a blunder.

[adjwilli]

3. It could still be a mistake...

If you look at it this way - that it was planned out for other purposes by PNACers & Co. - then it could possibly still be a mistake, if they loose the election.

[ThirdWheelLegend]

4. lol, good response and welcome to DU

eheh, interesting angle to look at it :)

:hi:

welcome!

TWL

[Cat Atomic]

5. Where's the mistake?

A bunch of corporatists found a common cause with a bunch of aggressive nationalists with a hard-on for hegemony, and they rammed their agenda through, in defiance of popular opinion.

Last I looked, they do in fact control Iraq's oil fields, and they have set up what will certainly be a long-term US military presence in Iraq.

They've accomplished everything they set out to accomplish. The only people that made a mistake were the apathetic citizens of this country who just waved their Wal-Mart flags and decided to trust the "president".