3/19/07 -- The War itself was a mistake.

[TayTay]

Just to remember, this is part of what we have learned since Shock and Awe was supposed to mean a quick, bloodless war and US troops out of Iraq in 6 months. (Which was the initial plan, remember?)

Let me say it plainly. Let me say it plainly. It's not enough to argue with the
logistics or to argue about the details or the manner of the conflict's execution or the
failures of competence, as great as they are. It is essential to acknowledge that the war
itself was a mistake. (Cheers, applause.) To say the simple words. (Applause.) To say -
- to say the simple words that contain more truth than pride.

We were misled. We were given evidence that was not true. It was wrong, and I
was wrong to vote for that Iraqi war resolution. (Cheers, applause.)

(SNIP)

We cannot -- one of the great lessons of life is that you cannot change the future if
you're not honest about the past. And we cannot have it both ways in the war in Iraq.
The truth is -- the truth is that America is imprisoned in a failed policy. And as in
Vietnam, we're being told that admitting mistakes -- not the mistakes themselves -- will
provide our enemies with an intolerable propaganda victory. Well, that too, my friends,
is a lie. (Applause.) And history proves it. History proves it.


Sen. John Kerry, Take Back America conference, 6/12/06, Washington DC.

[ginnyinWI]

1. true words.

When we fail to admit that it was all a big mistake, we are indeed imprisioned. They all know it now--all the repubs--but won't admit it and free themselves.

We watched an old John Wayne flick over the weekend, "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon". In the movie, Wayne's character says several times, "never admit a mistake--it's weak." That thinking is exactly what we're up against. Personally, they don't need to admit it in words--they just need to correct their mistake with their actions.

It's nice to hear from a patriot who believes that truth is more important than pride.

[MH1]

2. Thank you for posting that.

It is such a key statement, and it is oh so true.

There is a great post on HuffPo that takes MTP to task for their so-called "balanced" format yesterday - this is the show Joe Sestak was on - 2 pro-troops Dems vs. 2 anti-troops Repubs. Except as the author points out, the 2 Dems were credible to discuss the topic, both Repubs (Tom Delay and Richard Perle) are completely discredited. Yet of course Russert treated Delay and Perle as if they were as credible as Sestak and Andrews. Link:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/roger-smith/the-fair-and-balanced-myt_b_43713.html

[TayTay]

3. Washington Post today: Casualty of the War

Casualty of the War

By Ayub Nuri
Monday, March 19, 2007; A15



A few weeks before the war in Iraq began in 2003, I was overtaken by fear. I did not fear the war but that George W. Bush might change his mind about overthrowing the Iraqi regime. I was sad to see antiwar protesters in the streets of Washington and London. "What do they know of our sufferings?" I said.

As an Iraqi, I had lived my life under bombardment. Conflict cost me my family and my childhood: I lost my grandmother and my right knee to rocket shrapnel when I was 4. But I saw salvation in this war.

Bush's 48-hour deadline for Saddam Hussein to leave the country ended my fears. It meant war was imminent. I was staying at a house just two miles from one of the front lines when I woke one morning to find that the trigger had been pulled during the night.

During previous wars, I had hidden in basements with my family, but I would witness this conflict as a journalist. I entered cities as they fell. I saw hungry and barefooted Iraqi soldiers walking on roadsides. They had thrown away their weapons and uniforms. In Kirkuk, people were dancing in the streets, waving banners that read "Thanks, Mr. Bush." I saw tears of joy in their eyes.

SNIP

Three-and-a-half years later, I took the same trip I took at the start of the war.

I found the people who danced in the streets of Kirkuk disappointed and skeptical about the future of their city. Near Hussein's hometown, angry people had kept their vows and become insurgents. In Baghdad, the streets were as lifeless as they were those first days. In Hilla, the smiles disappeared as car bombs created new mass graves.

The war has united Iraqis in their disappointment. I ask myself if our expectations were too high. It is hard to answer. But I look back and realize that the fears that I had four years ago were misplaced: If Bush had changed his mind about the war, things might be better now.

The writer is a student at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/18/AR2007031801057_pf.html

[MH1]

4. Ned Lamont at HuffPo: discussion with Hans Blix about the inspections

Ned Lamont

03.19.2007
Two Months (14 comments )

Last week, days before the fourth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, a group of us met with Hans Blix, the former top UN weapons inspector. He reminded us that not only did the UN have hundreds of weapons inspectors on the ground in Iraq before the invasion, but that he had ready access to all of the Iraqi sites which US intel had targeted for inspection. He reminded us that weapons inspectors had already checked out some of the locations which Colin Powell would later refer to in his UN Security Council testimony, and had found no evidence of WMD. And he reminded us that, while weapons inspectors were not yet ready to stipulate whether or not Iraq still had WMD at the time of the invasion, he believed that another two months would have allowed them to make that determination.

Instead of giving the weapons inspectors another two months to better determine whether the rationale for the invasion made sense, President Bush launched the invasion.

...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3170206