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Reader comment on:
Defense Secretary Is Wary of Adding More Iraq Troops
in response to reader comment: No Way Forward In Iraq

Submitted by Marcos, Jan 2, 2007 16:31

You brought up an important point, June. The looting. At the time of the looting, Secretary of Defense Don Rumsfeld brushed it off by saying, "Freedom is messy." One of the basic principles of Counter-Insurgency, if one is to believe the experts, is that looting must be nipped in the bud immediately. I have never heard anyone in the administration tell us why they couldn't stop it, only excuses as to why they allowed it. And the looting of buildings, ministries, etc., is the least of it. We were not able to guard the many munitions dumps and arms caches that were uncovered during the part of the war where we were "winning". Thus tons of munitions, including explosives, were looted within weeks of the fall of Bagdad. These same munitions are now being used to kill out troops, especially the explosives, which are used in IEDs. They're not coming from outside the country. They were stolen from right under our noses. The time for more troops was before we went in. The time for a surge was right after Bagdad fell. With the enough troops at the start of hostilities or before the insurgency took root, we could have secured the weapons caches and the cities. Now it is too late. We've lost this thing. Blame the poor planning by the Bush Administration, and a rubber stamp congress that let them get away with it. If they hadn't been baffled by their own bullshit and ideological fantasies, they might have been able to do this properly. But if they had been that intelligent, they probably wouldn't have attacked Iraq to begin with.

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Other reader comments on this article

Comment By Date

I just have something to say to all of you who don't think we can win this war . It... [MORE]

SSG B.C. US ARMY 

Dec 29, 2006 09:53

Sgt. give us a break, i understand your warrior mentality and thats fine but dont blame your fellow american citizens... [MORE]

Lee 

Dec 29, 2006 12:27

I believe you took an oath to uphold the constitution, which grants ultimate authority to the American people, not the... [MORE]

Ron Kossik 

Dec 29, 2006 13:03

You are in a combat zone up close, and you do not have the luxury of perspective. You are there,... [MORE]

Eyeball Kid 

Dec 29, 2006 16:13

Boo Yah! to SSG B.B. US Army. We're with you brother, and if we can only get these newspapers to... [MORE]

Bill Antonowicz 

Jan 12, 2007 18:46

I'm sick and tired of military leaders being jerked around by poiticians that don't have a clue , when it... [MORE]

Alex Panos 

Dec 29, 2006 08:14

I truly believe Bush fancies himself as Alexander The Great, riding gloriously and victoriously, leading the Greeks into Egypt. [MORE]

Paul Bookidis 

Dec 29, 2006 11:09

Just as prior to the start of the Iraq war Bush had a tremendous buildup of troops in Kuwait. He... [MORE]

BILL M 

Dec 28, 2006 15:33

Clearly Bush is almost alone in his view that sending additional troops to Iraq will help. But knowing him as... [MORE]

Robert H. 

Dec 28, 2006 15:10

I am amazed how this campaign has been waged. To put it bluntly...whoever is orchestrating this campaign is inept, whether... [MORE]

steve burns 

Dec 28, 2006 14:33

Many, civilians and military alike, have been saying from the begiining that more troops were needed for the mission in... [MORE]

Robert 

Dec 28, 2006 13:30

It is more and more obvious that it is time to be completely forthcoming and honest about our objectives in... [MORE]

Joseph Miranda 

Dec 28, 2006 18:04

Define what winning is for Iraq?Bush's political goals for Iraq are dead.So what is left to win? [MORE]

fcsanders 

Dec 27, 2006 08:53

I think the issue among the adults is how to leave while doing the least damage and not having the... [MORE]

Marcos 

Dec 28, 2006 12:56

A winning strategy, ther is no such thing! The problem for this President and Administration Leaders is that if they... [MORE]

June 

Dec 28, 2006 23:06

You brought up an important point, June. The looting. At the time of the looting, Secretary of Defense Don Rumsfeld...

Marcos 

Jan 2, 2007 16:31

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