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Ear to the Ground

Iraqi Insider Ridicules the Occupation

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Posted on Apr 9, 2007

Iraq’s former trade, defense and finance minister has written a scathing assessment of the war. A book by Ali A. Allawi, a prominent member of the post-Saddam regime, offers a surprisingly frank appraisal of what he calls the “monumental ignorance” and “rank amateurism and swaggering arrogance” of the occupation of his country.

AP via Yahoo:

In a rueful reflection on what might have been, an Iraqi government insider details in 500 pages the U.S. occupation’s “shocking” mismanagement of his country—a performance so bad, he writes, that by 2007 Iraqis had “turned their backs on their would-be liberators.”

“The corroded and corrupt state of Saddam was replaced by the corroded, inefficient, incompetent and corrupt state of the new order,” Ali A. Allawi concludes in “The Occupation of Iraq,” newly published by Yale University Press.

Allawi writes with authority as a member of that “new order,” having served as Iraq’s trade, defense and finance minister at various times since 2003. As a former academic, at Oxford University before the U.S.-British invasion of Iraq, he also writes with unusual detachment.

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By Yale University Press, April 10, 2007 at 6:09 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

If you’d like to learn more about Ali A. Allawi’s “The Occupation of Iraq,” details are available at Yale University Press: http://yalepress.yale.edu/yupbooks/book.asp?isbn=0300110154>

Additionally, you can listen to his first public radio interview on The Diane Rehm Show http://www.wamu.org/programs/dr/07/04/09.php#12935”

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By Trigger finger, April 9, 2007 at 5:22 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Response to Rodney.
Nor will I support anyone who wants to fund the the King’s occupation of Iraq.  Nor will I support any democrat who votes for amnesty for illegal emigrants.  The kings occupation is not a total loss however as he and his friends have the price of oil where they want it and they are getting richer by the minute.

Don’t bet on the Democrats becoming the owners of the occupation of Iraq.  If they don’t change their thinking on the illegal immigration issue, they will surely hand control of both houses and the white house right back to the Republicans.  The Democrats are still giddy from their good fortune and they don’t see the anger in the cities of America over immigration.  It’s strange how the government can’t control the borders, can’t find the illegal emigrants in this country, but if you under pay your tax burden by 10 Cents, they are pounding on your door the next day.

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By John F. Butterfield, April 9, 2007 at 4:31 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

If only ridicule
could get rid of the fool
and Cheney too . . .

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By Rodney, April 9, 2007 at 2:39 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

It really does not matter anymore. Bush has defined the argument the supporting the troops means supporting the war. The Democrats refused stop the funding so I will not support any canidate that votes for any more funding for this war. All hell is going to break loose anyway because ingorant ass King George went into Iraq and swatted the hornets nest. He is just waiting to dump his mess on the next president and the foolish democrats will probably be the owners of the Bush fisasco.

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By Sharon Ash, April 9, 2007 at 1:22 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

I could not be any more sick at heart because of what has been done to the country of Iraq and its citizens in my name, as an American.  This war from the start, has been for me, one of those nightmares in which you are trying to scream but cannot get a sound to come out.  No matter how many millions of Americans screamed, “No.”, to starting this war, our country waged it.  No matter how many millions of Americans are now screaming “Stop.”, to this war, our country continues to wage it. We scream, but our voices are not heard. I only wish the Iraqis could understand that millions of Americans never wished any part of this misery that our country has visited upon them and that we feel victimized by our own government because of this illegal and immoral war which was waged in our names.  I only wish.

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By Quy Tran, April 9, 2007 at 9:43 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

A little bit late but it’s still worth for millions banners ! “Mission Was Really Accomplished” towards Iraqis people but not for occupation forces.

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By Steve Hammons, April 9, 2007 at 6:04 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

The Bush-Cheney invasion and occupation of Iraq has obviously been a disaster in many terrible ways.

An interesting question to ask is: Were the many apparent errors along the way actually part of discreet plans? Were apparent “mistakes” actually intended outcomes?

For more, take a look at:

“‘Mistakes’ or ‘plans’ in Iraq, War on Terror?”

PopulistAmerica.com
February 12, 2007

http://www.populistamerica.com/mistakes_or_plans_in_ir aq_war_on_terror

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