No mistakes in Iraq?
By on Mar 19th, 2007 at 1:42 pm
No mistakes in Iraq?
Asked on CBS’s The Early Show to say what the administration’s biggest mistake was in Iraq, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice replied, “I don’t know. When we look back over time we will know the answer to that question.” She later added the White House “might have looked to a more localized, more decentralized approach to reconstruction.” (For a look back on the past four years in Iraq, ThinkProgress has a timeline HERE.)
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I can see her problem. So many mistakes to choose from — how does one decide?
March 19th, 2007 at 1:45 pmwe made mistakes, we just don’t want to be pinned down to anything specific… is that it, Condi?
March 19th, 2007 at 1:46 pmThere are mistakes in every war — the Secretary of State is not denying that — she simply said she doesn’t know what the BIGGEST mistake is. FDR didn’t know that his embargo of Japan was going to bring about Pearl Harbor, did he?
March 19th, 2007 at 1:47 pmBarfly, you beat me to it.
March 19th, 2007 at 1:47 pmOooh, oooH I know!! I know!
March 19th, 2007 at 1:48 pmGoing there.
Ask Condi about designer shoes, that she knows about.
March 19th, 2007 at 1:49 pmHow about the fact that Allah put so much oil beneath the sand there?
March 19th, 2007 at 1:50 pm#5 - Oooh, oooH I know!! I know!
Going there.
BINGO! Hammer. Nail. Head.
March 19th, 2007 at 1:51 pmAsk Condi a question about the former Soviet Union. That’s the limit of her expertise.
March 19th, 2007 at 1:51 pmCondoweasel Rice did a nice job of avoiding that one. Other than the obvious–invading in the first place–it is difficult to determine which was the biggest mistake. There are just so damn many of them it’s hard to choose.
March 19th, 2007 at 1:53 pmI’m not surprised by her response. She doesn’t know squat!
March 19th, 2007 at 1:53 pmFDR didn’t know that his embargo of Japan was going to bring about Pearl Harbor, did he?
Comment by Jake
Jake you’re no historian; you couldn’t even answer my question (well, at least not honestly) the other day about successfully instilling democracy. Yours is the comic-book version of history.
March 19th, 2007 at 1:54 pmCondi, you reinforce the fact that if you don’t know what the mistakes were, you are simply going to keep repeating them.
Anyone who has graduated from high school learns not to keep repeating the same mistake, if they have half a brain.
Condi, you’re supposed to be one of the smartest people in the US.
If we asked you what mistakes the Democrats had made, you’d probably give us a list a mile long.
Yet, for one of the biggest fiascoes that a government has ever committed, you can’t think of any mistakes.
And the Republicans wonder why America wants the US out of Iraq.
Simple because you morons haven’t figured out that you’ve got it wrong.
March 19th, 2007 at 1:54 pmShe doesn’t know what the biggest mistake is because there are too many, and they are all so huge.
To pick just one, to pick the WORST one… that’s a tough decision. Though I’d lean towards a tie between everything the Bush Administration did to lie us into war.
March 19th, 2007 at 1:55 pmThere are mistakes in every war — the Secretary of State is not denying that — she simply said she doesn’t know what the BIGGEST mistake is. FDR didn’t know that his embargo of Japan was going to bring about Pearl Harbor, did he? Comment by Jake — March 19, 2007 @ 1:47 pm
Busy *Jake’ing* off all over the treads again with your unwelcome b*llsh*t I see. Now when we *embargoed* Japan, you’re referring to the *Island* of Japan - right? Have proof for that little st*pid comment Jake? Or is that the *Old-English* definition of Japan?
Tell me Jake, since the topic is *mistakes-of-war*, how do you explain your comment, since we weren’t at war *before* Pearl Harbor?
Were you always this st*pid Jake, or is the dementia which makes you say such *RIDICULOUS* THINGS!! BAHAHAHA, St*pid little boy!
March 19th, 2007 at 1:55 pmWhy does the left want to lose so badly? You’ve been hindering victory since Day 1 by pushing anything to make America or our troops look bad like Abu Ghraib images or the Haditha mess.
We won WW II because FDR shut down the media and made decisions that he would never get away with today (such as putting the japanese in camps). AND does anyone think people at Think Progress would have supported Truman’s decision to drop the bomb??? (I am going to say no)
This country has changed and unfortunately not for the better. Liberals may be winning, but you’ll be the first to get knocked off when your beloved Taliban takes over.
March 19th, 2007 at 1:56 pmJake can you say ‘Mushroom cloud’
March 19th, 2007 at 1:56 pm#11 - I’m not surprised by her response. She doesn’t know squat!
She’s just taking after her “husband”. The Emperor doesn’t know squat! either. Well, except how to line he and his cronies pockets.
March 19th, 2007 at 1:57 pmNo, no, mistakes didn’t began by invading Iraq in 2003. Began at November 2000.
March 19th, 2007 at 1:58 pmThese CONs fight their whole life avoiding *mistakes* or acknowledging of them. To them, admitting a mistake is *feminine* and *weak*. When you’re sexually confused like *Jake*, that’s a real problem! That’s why he still can’t admit he couldn’t spell the word “Riddance” - because he’s a little child, trapped in an old man’s body, without ever having been a *man* in his whole life.
This is the problem with CONs. They’re babies, that think by acting viciously, callously and brutally - they will prevent everyone from seeing what insecure st*pid little brats they actually are.
I’ll give you a clue CONs, we *always* see you, even when you’re too st*pid to see yourself!
March 19th, 2007 at 1:58 pmThere are mistakes in every war. -Jake
Like losing 8 billion dollars in cash?
March 19th, 2007 at 1:58 pmLiberals may be winning, but you’ll be the first to get knocked off when your beloved Taliban takes over. Comment by Liberals Heart Terrorists — March 19, 2007 @ 1:56 pm
The (christian)Taliban has been in charge for the last 6 years - that’s the point there Osama! Were you always retarded, or did your mother just drop you on your head?
March 19th, 2007 at 2:00 pmMy vote for biggest mistake was the dismissal of the entire Baathist regime. We made a lot of enemies with that move, and it isolated us from the people who knew where stockpiles of materiel were.
March 19th, 2007 at 2:00 pmThis country has changed and unfortunately not for the better. Liberals may be winning, but you’ll be the first to get knocked off when your beloved Taliban takes over.
Comment by Liberals Heart Terrorists
The Taliban is in Afghanistan not Iraq. I agree the country has changed, the culture of corruption is a huge ‘CON’ problem. Not to mention the bumper crop of opium under your ’sides’ leadership, and the failure to catch your friend Osama. Say CON loves terrorists, why did your side give terrorits 8 billion dollars? Must have been the love, Right?
March 19th, 2007 at 2:01 pmIn Bushworld you’re rewarded not punished when you participate in criminal activities, you’re treasonous when you tell the truth and patriotic when you tell lies. Loyalty is what’s most important to the almighty Decider, everything else seems to be irrelevant. Does BushCo have America’s best interest at heart? Sure they do and it’s safe to let a fox guard the chicken house.
March 19th, 2007 at 2:02 pmYes, Hendler, we initiated an oil embargo in 1941.
Or are you really trying to define war as when the first shots were fired? I guess that’s correct by your way of thinking; we weren’t at war against Islamofascism because of the USS Cole, or the 1st bombing of the trade towers, or the embassy bombings, or a myriad of other terrorist attacks.
But you continue your policy of resorting to childish name-calling when you have no other recourse.
March 19th, 2007 at 2:05 pmLiberals may be winning, but you’ll be the first to get knocked off when your beloved Taliban takes over.
Oh really, so why did the CONS who love terrorism thwart this?
March 19th, 2007 at 2:06 pmIn Congress, Clinton was thwarted by the reactionary conservative majority in virtually every attempt he made to pass legislation that would attack al-Qaeda and terrorism. His 1996 omnibus terror bill, which included many of the anti-terror measures we now take for granted after September 11, was withered almost to the point of uselessness by attacks from the right; Senators Jesse Helms and Trent Lott were openly dismissive of the threats Clinton spoke of.
Yeah that 20 words or less guy couldn’t even admit he made a mistake trying to use the link formatting. He blamed this website. Morons cannot admit to the smallest of mistakes.
March 19th, 2007 at 2:06 pm#16
If you weren’t such a biased idiot your comments might make a modicum of sense.
One of my favorite lunacies is the idea that we won World War II because we threw Americans (Japanese) into camps.
I happen to have a friend who’s father was in one of those camps. He ended up serving in Europe in THE most decorated unit of the Army. The vast majority of the unit were Americans who happened to be Japanese.
Also, once folks such as yourself realize that when you quit referring to half the US as wanting to lose the great Iraq War fiasco that your heroes have created, you might start having a chance to win elections again. Until then, keep spouting off.
March 19th, 2007 at 2:07 pmIt is said the administration still cannot come out and discuss what has went wrong in Iraq. It is very important to indentify what didn’t work so we can not repeat them going forward in Iraq. Coming out and discussing what didn’t work would also instill more trust from the American people as we all realize a war will always be filled with many mistakes as no situation in war is perfect. I just hope that behind closed doors they are working to fix these situations going forward so they can fine tune our plans going forward in Iraq. Making mistakes are never good but learning from them is still important. Hopefully they will learn from their mistakes so the next 2-3 years in Iraq go smoother for the Iraq people’s sake.
March 19th, 2007 at 2:08 pmOr are you really trying to define war as when the first shots were fired? I guess that’s correct by your way of thinking; we weren’t at war against Islamofascism because of the USS Cole, or the 1st bombing of the trade towers, or the embassy bombings, or a myriad of other terrorist attacks. Comment by Dale — March 19, 2007 @ 2:05 pm
Are you saying that *Terrorists* are soldiers in a *War*? Because if you are, then you’re in stark contrast to the anti-geneva convention crowd!
War is *defined* when it’s declared, you st*pid fool! As in *Congress* is the *only* entity that can declare it! Until then you can say there’s civil unrest, or any number of things, but by your definition we’re at *war* with Iran and North Korea. Do they *know* we declared war on them?
You’re a moron.
But you continue your policy of resorting to childish name-calling when you have no other recourse. Comment by Dale — March 19, 2007 @ 2:05 pm
We refused to sell them *our* oil, while the term *embargo* is used, it’s misleading to say we had “Japan” the Island under an embargo.
I call you people *names*, because you *weasel-word* like a child. You’re st*pid fools!
At least I say “you act like a child”, instead of your weasel “you resort to childish name-calling”. See, you name called to, the difference? I have the b*lls to do it, you however *throw-like-a-girl*, idiot.
March 19th, 2007 at 2:11 pmBush attacked the wrong Country and lied and fabricated evidence to do it. He sent too few troops with too little armor for them or their vehicles. No exit strategy planning was allowed and so there is no exit strategy. They botched the reconstruction in Iraq the same way they did in NOLA with cronys running the corporat welfare trough. They denied there was looting untill everything was looted. They denied there was an insrugency until it was a Civil war and now they are denying there is a civil war.
4 years later they’re still lying about making progress when terrorist attacks are up 600% since the war began.
And the lying sacks of shit still carrying their water here with their bullshit arguments can go to hell. That’s you Roger and you jake and the rest of your lame ass crew.
March 19th, 2007 at 2:15 pmYou heard it here folks. According to the “logic” of Dale, the “Christians” are at *war* with America, and vice-versa, as they’ve perpetrated the largest number of *terrorist* attacks on American soil in the past 10 years! Christians are at war with America Dale - I agree!
March 19th, 2007 at 2:17 pmLiberals Heart Terrorists: That’s some nice trolling. I see you now support locking up people of certain decent in camps again. An overtly racist mentality. Where’s your white hood?
March 19th, 2007 at 2:17 pmReading y’all making fun of Condi = one thing. Y’all a bunch of racists@
March 19th, 2007 at 2:18 pm#32: Perfect. Couldn’t have said it better myself.
March 19th, 2007 at 2:20 pmReading y’all making fun of Condi = one thing. Y’all a bunch of racists@ Comment by Real RedNeck
No. I just don’t like watching incompetent people trying to run the country.
March 19th, 2007 at 2:21 pmLeave it to a redneck to copyright the term racist.
March 19th, 2007 at 2:21 pmI think #35 meant “racists!” with the shift on the “1″ and not the “2″.
March 19th, 2007 at 2:25 pmThere are mistakes in every war — the Secretary of State is not denying that — she simply said she doesn’t know what the BIGGEST mistake is.
Comment by Jake
Yeah, Jakester, that’s a tough one all right. What’s the biggest? Invading the first place under the pretext of lies and inuendo? Sticking around and trying our hand at Nation Building? Letting Paul Bremer dismantle the entire Iraqi goverment and infrastructure and set the stage for anarchy? Or removing the only deterence we had in the region against Iran?
I mean, talk about suck! Good thing we have the DEMOCRATS in there finally taking over and asking questions or Rummy would still be running the war and firing generals, Cheney would be crowing about the insurgency being on its last legs, and Bush would be hanging around his ranch in Crawford listening to the unbiased accounts from Oliver North’s Fox News reports.
March 19th, 2007 at 2:25 pmUh, no, I called your action(s) childish, you consistently call the various conservative posters on here “They’re babies”. “insecure st*pid little brats”, and “St*pid little boy”.
I have never seen you try to discuss anything calmly and rationally, you act like you’re on the playground.
March 19th, 2007 at 2:28 pmUh, that was the ‘at’ symbol, not the copyright symbol.
March 19th, 2007 at 2:30 pmBush pleads for patience over Iraq
“It can be tempting to look at the challenges in Iraq and conclude our best option is to pack up and go home,” Bush said. “That may be satisfying in the short run, but I believe the consequences for America’s security would be devastating.”
WHAT A COMPLETE ARSEHOLE BUSH , YOUR SAYING YOUVE DEVASTATED AMERICAS SECURITY BY INVADING IRAQ…… time will not fix this ever,,, pay for the damages and get out and impeach this idiot
March 19th, 2007 at 2:37 pmWe refused to sell them *our* oil, while the term *embargo* is used, it’s misleading to say we had “Japan†the Island under an embargo.
Comment by ValiantVenusGrewFromUranus —
I know you have your blood up on this one, but well, you’re wrong. If you had followed that link (which is accurate, btw) you’d see that the US was providing Japan with 80% of its oil, oil that was critical to Japanese plans for hegemony in the Pacific.
For verification of the terminology, go here: Memo
Page 4, Item 9H. Look at the language of the memo.
It’s also clear that Jake is completely wrong (surprise!) when suggesting that FDR didn’t realize his embargo of Japan would trigger a war. There’s ample evidence (including Item 10, same page) that FDR actually provoked Japan into declaring war. Sure, the US got caught with its pants down in Pearl Harbor, but the embargo itself was not a “mistake”.
March 19th, 2007 at 2:38 pmThe BIGGEST mistake was…
…a partisan SCOTUS’ selection of Bushiva as preznit…
…and all the rest is HIS’tory…
March 19th, 2007 at 2:40 pmReading y’all making fun of Condi = one thing. Y’all a bunch of racists@ Comment by Real RedNeck
What barn did you attend? Yes I just made fun of you. Now tell me how that was racist?
March 19th, 2007 at 2:45 pm#40 I agree with you here. The Dems coming to power did in fact seem to force some changes. Bush finally stopped doing more of the same and decided to use one of the Iraq study groups idea’s with the Surge. The Dem leadership also has shown alot of heart and staying power when it comes to Iraq. They really surprised most Americans when they changed their tune so quickly and now support the war and are even looking to extend it. We are talking only 1-2 months after running a long campaign promising to end the war ASAP. I know that suprised me when she starting looking for support to vote yes for all the spending Bush was asking even though she could have voted no and simply ended the war. I praise her and the Dems for realizing that working to fix our mess and provide freedom for the Iraqis is of very high importance.
March 19th, 2007 at 2:47 pmWhat Connie can’t say is the truth. There were no mistakes made. This plan was invade Iraq to take over the oil rights and build a pipe line. Yes Saddam had made a deal with the US but later backed out. As Saddam was weak the CEO of Halliburton Dick Cheney and other US oil men made the plan to invade Iraq and put a puppet govenment in. Yes the Middle East people knew about it but plans were made with the Saudi’s and others to invade. Word got out of terrorist and when 9/11 happen Bush/Cheney lied about Saddam. Yes Osama’s family went along with Bush would protect their son, which he did. All the allies were paid for their cooperation. Halliburton and other contrators are being paid with taxper money for the oil drilling and building of oil tanks pluse the pipe lines.
March 19th, 2007 at 2:55 pmAll this at no cost to the companies there by the get all profit. Now Bush doesn’t have that rubber stamp Congress anymore so the GOP have to use tricks and paid media to justifiy the Trillions of dollars needed by the war profiteers. Notice not a dime for the troops as you see at Walter Reed and the troops have no supplies. This is really what Connie was trying to say when she said no mistakes. Remember our dead soldiers are only numbers not humans to this Administration.
We are talking only 1-2 months after running a long campaign promising to end the war ASAP.
Comment by Roger_Roger
ASAP: As Soon As Possible. With the rubberstamps still controlling enough votes to stymie any attempts at redeployment, ASAP takes awhile.
March 19th, 2007 at 2:57 pmThanks for the correction Dale. Needs new glasses, does I.
March 19th, 2007 at 2:59 pm#49 You are completely wrong. The Dem had their chance to end this war very quickly. The new Iraq spending bill is a simple yes or no vote. The Dems could have easily voted no and ended this war. Instead, they not only voted yes, Pelosi was the biggest cheerleader for it and demanded the Dems vote yes with her. This effectively extended the war and proved the Dems fully support it. They had their chance and proved they are truly for the war. I understand this crowd will still defend the Dems and talk about all these fancy resolutions, rubberstamps, and fillibusters, but in the end they had an easy opportunity but decided to support the war. Of course they will still go on TV and proclaim to be against the war. Of course they will continue to put up nonbinding resolutions and complain they will get blocked, but this is just pandering to a base that should be smarter then this.
Take the blinders off already. It is laughable to even say the Dems are against the war after voting yes to over $90 billion bush requested to extend the war including the escalation. It is one thing to go on TV and say your against it, but when your voting record shows otherwise, I have to question whether you are truly for the war afterall.
March 19th, 2007 at 3:20 pmI praise her and the Dems for realizing that working to fix our mess and provide freedom for the Iraqis is of very high importance -RR
It should have never started in the first place. You should be condemning those that started this mess not condoning this fiasco or those, on either side, who voted for it.
And now we own and occupy this nation of 25 million people, we own this welfare nation. It was bought by GOP/WHIG/OSP cherrypicking and misleading intelligence.
I say we send every last SOB that was involved in creating this quagmire over to IRAQ and make them clean up this disaster personally.
March 19th, 2007 at 3:40 pmBush just finished a speech to the Congress saying that he wants the war funding with no strings.
I can think of one very sturdy string I’d like to attach.
March 19th, 2007 at 4:03 pm(my pace picante sauce satire) - He’s from Kennebunkport? Get a rope!
March 19th, 2007 at 4:10 pmI saw that this morning and at the time, thought to myself: “Going over there, in the first place.”
March 19th, 2007 at 4:12 pm#55- DOH!
March 19th, 2007 at 4:16 pmI want to see Condi’s diploma.
March 19th, 2007 at 4:44 pm#3 Jake:
FDR didn’t know that his embargo of Japan was going to bring about Pearl Harbor, did he?
An embargo is an act of war. The oil embargo was instituted in July of 1941. Do you have any evidence that FDR didn’t think that there was going to eventually be a shooting war and the U.S. would get involved? He’d been trying for quite some time to try to get the U.S. more involved in the ETO, with such as “Lend-Lease” and the Destroyers for Bases Agreement (and with that U.S. vessels, nominally reflagged, were being fired upon by Germans). The Selective Service act and the callup of reserves was done more than one year before Pearl Harbor (also, before the embargo). Not to mention the attack on the U.S. Greer, all prior to Pearl Harbor.
Guess who was busy trying to keep the U.S. out of the war (if not actively on the German side)… Republicans.
Your grasp of history is shoddy if not non-existent. And your claim about FDR is totally unsupported by the facts.
Cheers,
March 19th, 2007 at 4:50 pm#52 I agree with you. In hindsight we should not have invaded Iraq. It is sad that the intel was wrong, but we certainly can’t go back in time. If only we knew then what we know now. The intel the CIA and other world governments provided Congress and Bush must have been pretty solid for them to make that difficult decision. I am sure they all wish they knew some of that intel was wrong and could change this, but they can’t.
Like I said before, I praise Pelosi for realizing it is our mess we created from this accident and since it’s our mess, we should help clean it up. In the process of doing so, we should work with the Iraqi’s to provide them security while they get what every man, women, and child in this world wants. Democracy and Freedom. I truly hope in the end, we find a way to clean Iraq up and currently, the Dems seem to be on the right path. It is always good to see both parties working together to fix a problem. Watching Pelosi and Bush work hand in hand should net some solid results as we can only hope. They have every American and most Iraqi’s cheering them on hoping for success.
March 19th, 2007 at 5:28 pm#58 By your rationale we are at war with Iran, Cuba, and North Korea already.
March 19th, 2007 at 5:29 pmIt is sad that the intel was wrong, but we certainly can’t go back in time. If only we knew then what we know now. The intel the CIA and other world governments provided Congress and Bush must have been pretty solid for them to make that difficult decision. I am sure they all wish they knew some of that intel was wrong and could change this, but they can’t.
Comment by Roger_Roger
You’re either astonishingly ignorant or remarkably dishonest, I’m not sure which. Palming this off on the Intelligence community just isn’t going to wash, but nice try.
The very first National Security Council meeting of the new Bush admin, in January 2001 had as its very first agenda item the invasion and occupation of Iraq.
Nice try!
March 19th, 2007 at 6:59 pmWell, “Doctor”, and I use the term LOOSELY here, Rice, IF YA THINK THE PASSING OF TIME IS GOING TO SOFTEN EVERYBODY”S VIEW ON YOUR AND CHIMPya/Cheney’s IDIOCY AND UTTER GORMLESSLESS, YA ARE SADLY MISTAKEN—-SO DON’T TRY TO CHANGE THE SUBJECT OR SHIFT THE BLAME—-JUST ADMIT YOUR AND Bushland Uber Allies’ MISTAKES AND TAKE YOUR PUNISHMENTS LIKE A GROWNUP INSTEAD OF ACTING LIKE LITTLE IRRESPONSIBLE CHILDREN!!!!!
March 19th, 2007 at 10:35 pm“I DON’T KNOW, INDEED!!!!!”