How easily friends become enemies
"Winning the peace" in Iraq was a continual talking point in the presidential debates and the dialogue that surrounded them. But yet, many Americans don't understand just what "winning the peace" means. Sure, we have to have a trained Iraqi army and police force that supports our desires. Yes, we need to have an Iraqi-led governing force that is strong enough to keep the peace. These are basic concepts that are easy to grasp.
But, in retrospect, not enough thought was given as to why the Iraqi army decided to lay down their guns, which led to our quick "Mission Accomplished" proclomation. Looking back now, as this informative first-person account on Salon does, it's obvious that we lied to the Iraqi army in convincing them to surrender, and as a result shot ourselves in the foot (over and over and over again). If only we had used some common sense at the time—which unfortunately seems to be the recurring theme with this administration—and actually gave the Iraqis a chance to share their opinions and goals, we might have been able to circumvent a good deal of the chaos we've since created. Sad, but true.
But, in retrospect, not enough thought was given as to why the Iraqi army decided to lay down their guns, which led to our quick "Mission Accomplished" proclomation. Looking back now, as this informative first-person account on Salon does, it's obvious that we lied to the Iraqi army in convincing them to surrender, and as a result shot ourselves in the foot (over and over and over again). If only we had used some common sense at the time—which unfortunately seems to be the recurring theme with this administration—and actually gave the Iraqis a chance to share their opinions and goals, we might have been able to circumvent a good deal of the chaos we've since created. Sad, but true.