Spin and more spin

Some tops keep on tuning...Bremer and the issue of the Iraqi Army. He completely side steps the issue of whether it could have been recalled. Funny he bagins with a report that was largely ignored by everyone of the key decision makers....

Quote:

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How I Didn’t Dismantle Iraq’s Army


By L. PAUL BREMER III
Published: September 6, 2007

“The Iraqi Army of the future cannot be an extension of the present army, which has been made into a tool of dictatorship.” — Report by the Department of State’s Future of Iraq Project, May 2002


IT has become conventional wisdom that the decision to disband Saddam Hussein’s army was a mistake, was contrary to American prewar planning and was a decision I made on my own. In fact the policy was carefully considered by top civilian and military members of the American government. And it was the right decision.

By the time Baghdad fell on April 9, 2003, the Iraqi Army had simply dissolved. On April 17 Gen. John Abizaid, the deputy commander of the Army’s Central Command, reported in a video briefing to officials in Washington that “there are no organized Iraqi military units left.” The disappearance of Saddam Hussein’s old army rendered irrelevant any prewar plans to use that army. So the question was whether the Coalition Provisional Authority should try to recall it or to build a new one open to both vetted members of the old army and new recruits. General Abizaid favored the second approach.

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This reminds me of something I read not too long ago. It's the 7 Phases of a Plan:

1. Wild enthusiasm
2. Disillusionment
3. Confusion
4. Panic
5. Search for the Guilty
6. Punishment of the Innocent
7. Promotion of all non-participants

So which phase is this? :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RTK

This reminds me of something I read not too long ago. It's the 7 Phases of a Plan:

1. Wild enthusiasm
2. Disillusionment
3. Confusion
4. Panic
5. Search for the Guilty
6. Punishment of the Innocent
7. Promotion of all non-participants

So which phase is this? :D

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uhhh this would be the post post-Medal of Freedom phase entering the post presidential biography phase. Rather like the "UN salute", a shoulder shrug, this behavior exhibits 360 degree finger-pointing in three dimensions set to the tune Dueling Banjos, with new lyrics as Dueling Bios.

That's a pretty mouth, boy,,,:eek:

Tom

Rather interesting perspecitive. Perhaps, the most interesting part is what is not said. Did Garner ever see the memo / draft policy? I recall hearing him say that not recalling the army was a shock. It should have been since his point man with the Iraqi army, COL Paul Hughes, was reporting that the commanders he was negotiating with were prepared to call their troops back whenever we wanted them.

I forget where I saw it but our PSYOP campaign called for the regular Iraqi army to go home and not fight which is precisely what they did.

Still, Bremer does clarify the paper trail mainly in Washington. Unfortunately, the guy who really should have been in charge of the post conflict until Bremer got there - Garner - was never in charge and Franks, by his own admission in his book, never accepted responsibility for "the day after."

Cheers

JohnT

he lays it out and, as John T. says, it is most interesting in what it does not say. Exactly who saw what and when is not clear, merely implied. As a retarded bureaucrat among my many other faults, I can spot a dodge out from 15 clicks...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ken White

I'm not sure Bremer clarifies the paper trail. He lays it out and, as John T. says, it is most interesting in what it does not say. Exactly who saw what and when is not clear, merely implied. As a retarded bureaucrat among my many other faults, I can spot a dodge out from 15 clicks...

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Agreed, Ken. and as John T points out it is way out of azimuth with everything Garner has had to say on this subject....

best

tom

Pass the buck, Bremer style.

Lot of great folks work there, really -- but it's hard to soar like an Eagle when you're surrounded by...:wry: