Cheney touts Iraq war success stories - history might disagree

[sabra]

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=2897919&page=1

When asked whether the Bush administration had a failed strategy in Iraq, Cheney pushed back hard, insisting there had been significant progress.

"A failed strategy? Let's see. We didn't fail when we got rid of Saddam," Cheney said. "We didn't fail when we held elections. We didn't fail when we got a constitution written. Those are all success stories."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/31/AR2007013102132_pf.html

As with other recent nominees appearing before the Armed Services panel, Casey listed a series of mistakes that he believes have been made in Iraq. While some Bush administration officials still cite Iraq's elections as a great success, for example, he said that he thinks they "seem to have promoted increased sectarian divisions within the country."

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1592849-3,00.html

<snip>

III. THE IMPLOSION

Inter-sect relations, political and personal, began to fray with the approach of Iraq's first post-Saddam election in January 2005. Sunni parties boycotted the poll, allowing a Shi'ite coalition to sweep to power. With an assertiveness that at times bordered on arrogance, the Shi'ite-led government inflamed Sunni resentment. An especially sore point was the mass recruitment into the police and the military of Shi'ite militiamen, some of whom used the immunity of their uniforms to avenge old grudges against Sunnis. Sunni terrorism groups stepped up their bombing campaign, which convinced Shi'ites that the former ruling class was never going to accept its reduced status. By the time U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad persuaded Sunni parties to take part in a second general election in December 2005, the two sects were some distance apart.

...

Saddam's execution became another flash point. Even Sunnis who had little sympathy for Saddam were incensed that the government chose to hang him at the hour of morning prayers on one of the most sacred Muslim holidays (Iraqi Sunnis celebrated the holiday one day before the Shi'ites). The choice seemed to confirm suspicions that Shi'ite political dominance would be a constant humiliation. "It was their way of telling us, 'We're in charge now, and you are so weak that even your holy days have no meaning anymore,'" says media analyst Kadhim al-Mukhdadi. "That morning I gave up hoping that things would get better."

[zbdent]

1. History, hell. Reality

and facts disagree with Cheney ...

[sabra]

2. indeed. though historians are already building the case :-)

[Jacobin]

3. A little analogy might be in order

A builder says: "I'm going to build you a nice house."

You say fine.

He says lets put it over here in a marshy area...plenty of water for your plants.

Contractor goes in and pours a concrete slab too thin, sticks up a few 2X4s, throws a tarp over the beams for a roof and puts up some wallpaper that's really pretty.

When you complain he says: "Hey before we had this nice wall paper up and a roof, it was just a marsh. Its a success"

on edit:

Oh and it cost 200 times more than the original quote and he killed two of your kids building it.

[MurrayDelph]

4. A Vegas analogy

A guy spends a week in Las Vegas at the slot machines. During that time, he ends up with a net loss
of $10,000.

When he gets back from vacation, and someone asks how he did, he says "Great! I hit three jackpots!"

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

5. A similar proclamation of achievements from another spokesman.

"Now is not the time to ask how it all happened. That can wait until later, when the German people and the whole world will learn the full truth about the misfortune of the past weeks, and its deep and fateful significance. The heroic sacrifices of heroism of our soldiers in Stalingrad has had vast historical significance for the whole Eastern Front. It was not in vain. The future will make clear why.

When the war began, we turned our eyes to the nation alone. That which serves its struggle for life is good and must be encouraged. What harms its struggle for life is bad and must be eliminated and cut out. With burning hearts and cool heads we will overcome the major problems of this phase of the war. We are on the way to final victory. That victory rests on our faith in the Führer."

Josef Goebbels - 1943

[malaise]

6. Why doesn't Cheney's heart just fugging stop

I can't take much more of this. Shut the fuck up Cheney - you are a proven LIAR.

[Jacobin]

7. Captain Smith of the Titanic had a stellar career as a captain

Only made one small teeny tiny mistake.