On 5 Aug 2006 at 23:49, Charlie Bell wrote: > > On 05/08/2006, at 11:34 PM, Andrew Crystall wrote: > > > > > It was not an "error" to overthrow Saddam. Sure, your government lied > > to you about the reasons, and by all means call them to account for > > it, but overthrowing that sort of unstably dangerous tyrant isn't a > > mistake. > > It is if you're replacing him with a vacuum. Saddam could have waited > another 6 month or a year, with more and more pressure. The > "Coalition" could have genuinely won the "hearts and minds" of the > Iraqis. There must have been better ways than what they chose.
The Americans could train their troops in peacekeeping tactics, yes. I still don't understand, to this day, why they do not. And setting up a central strong government...again, an American mistake. America doesn't have one (ffs!), and a government of limited- autonomy regions would of worked better. The war? That went really well. It's the peace which has been difficult. The "pressure" which hadn't topped him in...a lot of years...was not about to do anything except make him crack down harder on his populace. AndrewC _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
