Choosing War: The Decision to Invade Iraq and Its Aftermath

**SteveMetz** · 04-18-2008

This new monograph by former DASD Joe Collins is likely to cause a firestorm. Just printed it but haven't read it yet. I wish I'd had this and the Feith book before I finished my own. Oh well!

**Gian P Gentile** · 04-18-2008

Thanks for posting this; very important. I skimmed it but will read it closely over the next few days.

gg

**Sean Kuester** · 05-13-2008

This is a great Occasional paper. For pro-military and or conservatives it may not be what you want to hear but it is based on fact and apparently well reasearched and documented; coming from the War College we should expect as much. In true military fashion, it is an honest evaluation of the Iraq invasion and provides great levels of detail on the plans and rationale leading to the war as well as its' prosecution. I particularly like this segement of text:

"To date, the war in Iraq is a classic case of failure to adopt and adapt
prudent courses of action that balance ends, ways, and means. After the
major combat operation, U.S. policy has been insolvent, with inadequate
means for pursuing ambitious ends. It is also a case where the perceived
illegitimacy of our policy has led the United States to bear a disproportionate
share of the war’s burden. U.S. efforts in Iraq stand in stark
contrast to the war in Afghanistan, where, to the surprise of many, U.S.
friends and allies have recently taken up a larger share of the burden of
that conflict. Afghanistan has become the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s
(NATO’s) war, but the war in Iraq has increasingly become only a
U.S. and Iraqi struggle. The British drawdown in Basra in the summer of
2007 heightened the isolation of the U.S. and Iraqi governments."

The author is very critical of "policy" rather than the executors of the policy, the military. I agree with the failure to adopt and adapt at the national level. At the operational level and below I think our units are doing this very thing; granted it took a while. At any rate this is a great analytical paper that really cause you to think and likely reevaluate your stance on the situation in Iraq.

**Bullmoose Bailey** · 12-16-2008

Originally Posted by Sean Kuester

This is a great Occasional paper. For pro-military and or conservatives it may not be what you want to hear but it is based on fact and apparently well reasearched and documented; coming from the War College we should expect as much. In true military fashion, it is an honest evaluation of the Iraq invasion and provides great levels of detail on the plans and rationale leading to the war as well as its' prosecution. I particularly like this segement of text:

"To date, the war in Iraq is a classic case of failure to adopt and adapt prudent courses of action that balance ends, ways, and means. After the major combat operation, U.S. policy has been insolvent, with inadequate means for pursuing ambitious ends. It is also a case where the perceived illegitimacy of our policy has led the United States to bear a disproportionate share of the war’s burden. U.S. efforts in Iraq stand in stark contrast to the war in Afghanistan, where, to the surprise of many, U.S.
friends and allies have recently taken up a larger share of the burden of that conflict. Afghanistan has become the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO’s) war, but the war in Iraq has increasingly become only a U.S. and Iraqi struggle. The British drawdown in Basra in the summer of 2007 heightened the isolation of the U.S. and Iraqi governments."

The author is very critical of "policy" rather than the executors of the policy, the military. I agree with the failure to adopt and adapt at the national level. At the operational level and below I think our units are doing this very thing; granted it took a while. At any rate this is a great analytical paper that really cause you to think and likely reevaluate your stance on the situation in Iraq.

Regarding the "illegitimacy of our policy"...

We do not choose war, war & similar entropic effects are part of nature; the second law of thermodynamics & Newtonian Physics.

Jesus Christ said (There will be wars & rumours of wars until the end of the age).

You see the liberal temptation; make a liar out of the Saviour & destroy the USA, kill two birds with one stone. I'm sure they'd love that.

So in a very real way we never choose war, it chose us & is a part of human imperfection. It is in how we acknowledge this reality & live with it that we dedine ourselves. We can be ignorrant, cowardly or dutiful; the choice is yours.....

**Tom Odom** · 12-16-2008

Regarding the "illegitimacy of our policy"...

We do not choose war, war & similar entropic effects are part of nature; the second law of thermodynamics & Newtonian Physics.

Jesus Christ said (There will be wars & rumours of wars until the end of the age).

Bullmoose,

Be careful cherry-picking to make points. "percieved" was in front of that quote.

As for the lecture on choosing war versus nature, physics and religion, that may be interesting in speaking of general terms. In this case, the Bush Administration chose war.

**Cavguy** · 12-16-2008

Good to see you on here Sean!

Niel

**Tom Odom** · 12-16-2008

Originally Posted by Cavguy

Good to see you on here Sean!

Niel

Hey mate

A SGM Wyatt told me to tell you hello

Tom

**Cavguy** · 12-16-2008

Originally Posted by Tom Odom

Hey mate

A SGM Wyatt told me to tell you hello

Tom

SGM Wyatt was my 1SG for 14 months. He has all the dirt on me. I pay him to keep quiet!

A tremendous NCO who shoots straight and kept me out of trouble (mostly) as a CO. He was so good he got to be a 1SG three times. Has a penchant for telling officers what they don't want to hear, but being absolutely right in his perscriptions.

Ask him about his "gold standard" CASEVAC @ Hohenfels.

Niel

**Tom Odom** · 12-16-2008

Originally Posted by Cavguy

SGM Wyatt was my 1SG for 14 months. He has all the dirt on me. I pay him to keep quiet!

A tremendous NCO who shoots straight and kept me out of trouble (mostly) as a CO. He was so good he got to be a 1SG three times. Has a penchant for telling officers what they don't want to hear, but being absolutely right in his perscriptions.

Ask him about his "gold standard" CASEVAC @ Hohenfels.

Niel

He is here with BDE C2--he actually said, "if you see Neil, slap him." I took that as a friendly hello as Stan used to slap me all the time...

I got to where I liked it...

Tom