Walt wrote:

We want to get out of the damn region not stir it up.

Graham


What is your source for that?


Public opinion? Of course, it would be a shock if in the western
'democracies' their government would respect the wishes of the people.
(see Aznar or Berlusconi, they disregarded 70-90% of their people.)


No, we -absolutely- want bases in the Middle East. What we had/have
in Saudi Arabia was not satisfactory. Too many limits.


We agree on that. Bush wanted to colonize Iraq from day one. He wanted
to have military bases for further aggressions.


Let's give the Neo-Cons who run Bush some credit.

They knew the chance of reconciling Sunni and Shia after overthrowing
Saddam were vanishingly small.


No. They knew that the cooperation of Sunnies and Shiits would be a
dissenter for the occupation. After the Falluja and Najaf resistance of
2004. The Bush administration had only one choice, bring in Negroponte,
father of death squads in Central America, ferment sectarian hostility.


They knew that disbanding the Iraqi army would cause chaos and civil
war.

They don't want an Iraqi national government. It might ask us to leave
some day.


Well, yes, but an obedient government is the best.


They haven't been grossly incompetent; they've been as brilliant as
the Sun.


It's to be seen. Yes, the Bush regime were very successful of turning
tax payers money to the military establishment, to oil interests, to
their cronies. But, the neocons aim of controlling the world, Pax
Americana has been dealt a big blow.


All of you that voted for Bush should be very proud of their success.


Most had no idea what they voted for. You give too much credit.