While the principal designers of our war strategy in Iraq have not
yet moved into full Scapegoating mode, the groundwork is being prepared. In her confirmation hearings Rice firmly put the responsibility for troop
levels on the military (specifically the generals, NOT the civilian leadership
of the military).
I think the battle lines have now been completely drawn. In sum:
Whitehouse (NSC): Blame
the generals. Money quote:
“I sat through briefing after briefing that assessed the
plan for both the war and for the immediate postwar period and, as a part of
that plan, the troop levels that were recommended by General Franks and by his
commanders. The president had good military advice from General Franks, good
military advice from Chairman Myers, who represents, of course, not just
himself but the corporate body of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. And they were very
clear that they believed that the plan that they were going to execute,
including phase four, that is the stabilization phase, was adequately resourced
in terms of troop strength.”
Secretary of Defense: Blame the generals for troop decision and
the CIA for not predicting the insurgency. Money quotes:
"The big
debate about the number of troops is one of those things that's really out of
my control"
and
"I don't think anyone would say that the intelligence
left anyone with the impression that you'd be in the degree of insurgency
you're in today"
The Generals: First
pretend that you’re not in the nation building game, that’s “wingtips on the
ground”, not “boots on the ground” (i.e. blame the State department). But when they call bullshit on that, blame the
CPA (Paul Bremer) for disbanding the Iraqi army. Money quotes:
“How to move Iraq forward using this distinctly American model was problematic . One thing was
certain, however: Phase IV would require civilian leadership. In addition to
boots on the ground, we would need wingtips on the ground-hundreds, perhaps
thousands, of civilians from America and the international community..."
and
“[O]ur planning assumption was that we would guide the Iraqi interim government in
building a military and a paramilitary security force drawn from the better
units of the defeated regular army. These units would serve side-by-side with
Coalition forces to restore order and prevent clashes among the religious and
ethnic factions . . . .”
The CPA (Bremer):Blame the
Whitehouse and/or the Secretary of Defense. Money quote:
"The single most important change ... would have been
having more troops in Iraq at the beginning and throughout." Bremer "raised this issue a number
of times with our government" but "should have been even more
insistent."
And that completes the circle. Looks like the buck has nowhere to stop.