Iraq inquiry: 2003 invasion 'a catastrophic success'

[sabra]

Source: UK telegraph

The Iraq invasion was a "catastrophic success", Sir Jeremy Greenstock, the UK's former special representative to Iraq, has told an inquiry.

He compared toppling Saddam Hussein's regime so quickly to "holding a baby without the materials for looking after it".

Sir Jeremy, also the former UK ambassador to the United Nations, told the inquiry that his Egyptian counterpart Ahmed Aboul Gheit, warned him the Iraqi people had a huge "capacity for violence" before the 2003 invasion.

He said Mr Gheit had said at the time: "You will not believe the degree of violence of which these people are capable when you come to it. So be careful what you take on."

...

He blamed the impatience of British and US politicians for the failure to create a strong Iraqi police force, adding that Tony Blair ordered the creation of a post-invasion police force within months, despite being warned it would take much longer. He added that the police force was still an area that was not "going reasonably well".

Sir John Chilcot, the chairman of the inquiry, cut the live video feed for just over a minute during his evidence as Sir Jeremy discussed Paul Bremer, the US administrator of post-invasion Iraq. It is the first time he has done so since the inquiry opened last month. Sir John said all evidence would be held in public, unless it concerned national security or if the security or health of a witness was at risk.

Just before being cut off Sir Jeremy said: "When I talked to other members of the American team, when I talked informally to the military, to the intelligence agencies, to other people who were operating, I found a very much more gloomy prognosis of what was going on than I felt or understood Ambassador Bremer was reporting back to the Pentagon.

...

The inquiry chairman, explaining his reasons for cutting the feed, later said: "There was a mention of sensitive information as defined in our published protocols, so we had to interrupt very briefly."

Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iraq/6818118/Iraq-inquiry-2003-invasion-a-catastrophic-success.html

[ixion]

1. 'catastrophic success' = epic FAIL

that is all.

[SkyDaddy7]

2. Exactly! It was all about securing Iraq's OIL...

And of course the billions in profits via no bid contracts! Cheney got much of what he wanted and his puppet Bush did what he was told to do. Now we are stuck with the aftermath.

[BennyD]

4. Oil that

Iraq has contracted to sell to countries other than the US. Although, I think I heard that Shell Oil has just acquired a contract but I'm not sure about that.

[SkyDaddy7]

7. Other not controlling all of Iraq's oil...

Cheney got his buddies billions in no bid contracts...For that I am sure he is happy.

[peacetalksforall]

3. And these are our leaders. Ruthless, drooling in avarice, incapable of

humanity. Can't even put a plan together. Laugh at the idea of contingency back-up.

Their prejudice against these people pervades every goal, objective, and strategy.

I will never forgive the so-called journalists who sat and laughed at every joke Rumsfeld made out of this barbaric action.

We do have something to be thankful for - he and George don't come out of their holes much now.

And Dick who never wanted to say one word to us while he played the Don, can't stop talking (defending himself).

Bremer who? Oh that guy. The one that got rich in just over a week?

[LynnTheDem]

5. Hmmm...I wonder what the "capacity for violence" American people would have

if they were "shock and awe"d and invaded by foreigners?

We already know what the "capacity for violence" Americans have on the "shock and awe" thing, and that's with a loss of 3000 people. Imagine the "capacity for violence" with a loss the Iraqis sustained.

[yurbud]

6. if we had a real democracy, there would be such an inquiry here.