Ex-army officers revile 'chaos' of Iraqi regime

[ECH1969]

It was meant to be a moment of reconciliation between the old regime and the new, a gathering of nearly 1,000 former Iraqi army officers and tribal leaders in Baghdad to voice their concerns over today's Iraq. But it did not go as planned.

General after general rose to his feet and raised his voice to shout at the way Iraq was being run and to express his fear of escalating war. "They were fools to break up our great army and form an army of thieves and criminals," said one senior officer. "They are traitors," added another.

General Sammarai had called for criticism but seemed dismayed at its ferocity, at one moment exclaiming "this is chaos," though he later apologised and said he supposed it was democracy. He said most of the trouble in Iraq was caused by foreign terrorists such as Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, prompting another officer to mutter: "I don't think Zarqawi will threaten us because we are against occupation."

In conversation, the officers made clear that they considered armed resistance to the occupation legitimate.

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article315787.ece

[pfitz59]

1. Ooops!

Another miscue....

[CottonBear]

2. Why did we break up the Iraqi army? We could've avoided much trouble. n/t

[ECH1969]

3. Chalabi convinced Bremer that the Iraqi Army

Which was all Sunni and mostly Baathist at the time would turn around and stab him in the back.

The insurgency would have been over two years ago if not for that decision.

[Roland99]

4. U.S. fvcked Iraq to save Chalabi's worthless hide.