Dereliction of Duty

Still not convinced that George W. Bush and Donald Rumsfeld never had any intention of rebuilding Iraq once Saddam was ousted? If so, perhaps it's time to pay a visit to your local psychiatrist:

"The secretary of defense continued to push on us ... that everything we write in our plan has to be the idea that we are going to go in, we're going to take out the regime, and then we're going to leave," [Brigadier General Mark Scheid, chief of the Logistics War Plans Division after 9/11] said. "We won't stay."

Scheid said the planners continued to try "to write what was called Phase 4," or the piece of the plan that included post-invasion operations like occupation.

Even if the troops didn't stay, "at least we have to plan for it," Scheid said.

"I remember the secretary of defense saying that he would fire the next person that said that," Scheid said. "We would not do planning for Phase 4 operations, which would require all those additional troops that people talk about today.

I don't know what's more depressing: 1) The recklessness with which this administration has pursued a war they consider to be critical to the survival of western civilization or 2) the fact that people continue to defend their actions.

Hat Tip: Kevin Drum

Posted by Kingston