Bush's Third Year - Iraqi War, Rebuilding Amid Chaos

Chapter 1 describes the Background and Motivation for the War on Iraq. Many columnists including Dowd, Gill, Buchanan et al. felt that “knocking off Israel’s enemies that encircled it and Mid East oil were the primary motives for a pre-emptive war on Iraq cloaked under the mantle of fighting terrorism and militarily imposed democracy ‘insuring’ peace and stability.” Wolfowitz and Libby first hatched the idea in ’92 and Perle concurred with the strategy.   

Opposition to Bush’s a pre-emptive war on Iraq continued to emanate from the UN, old friends France, Germany, Russia, many columnists like Buchanan, Raum, Cook et al. plus U. S. citizens. Bush and Blair vainly responded with a new set of “substitute” motives like Iraqi freedom, world peace, U. S. security, and Middle East stability and related to “justify” the war.  

The second chapter, 2, discusses Bush’s Iraqi policy, massive build-up and preparation for war with/without approval and participation by the UN. Two hundred and fifty thousand U. S. and 30,000 British forces amassed in the region.

The threat of North Korea with its nukes was “diplomatically downgraded” because a simultaneous two-war action was imprudent, unthinkable and impractical.

Except for Britain, “allied” cooperation was essentially “token at best”—as usual. Former allies Germany, France and others were in no mood for war despite pleas from Bush, Cheney, appointees Powell, Rice, Rumsfeld et al.  The need to send troops seemed foolish in light of unilateralist Bush’s determination. 

Worldwide, thousands of critics of the planned war voiced words and phrases including “ridiculous, unprovoked, deceptive, costly, political, hegemonic, irrational, deplorable, divisive, family vendetta, rehearsal against a Class D foe and radical departure from ‘self defense motivated by oil and Israel.’” 

Chapter 3 describes “Operation Iraqi Freedom” and its surprise attack on Baghdad with numerous Tomahawk missiles and 2000-pound bombs. Protests against the Iraqi War reverberated around the world and the expected “Iraqi Revolt” never occurred.  Invasions were soon underway on the northern, central and southern fronts with the British controlling the oil fields near Basra against relatively little resistance.

Rumsfeld’s high-tech, lean, mean military machine soon captured one-half of Baghdad on April 4^th, Basra on April 7^th, all of Baghdad on April 9^th, Kirkuk on April 10^th, Mosul on April 11^th and Tikrit on April 14th. Rumsfeld declared the end of major combat operations on April 30^th.  Widespread looting and lawlessness followed especially in Baghdad and Basra.

Bush, aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln prematurely declared “Mission Accomplished” as of May 1^st despite mounting chaos, crime and casualties inflicted by Iraqi guerrillas.   

The continuing Iraqi War describes guerrilla warfare (car bombings, small arms, rifle, mortar and RPG) attacks in Chapter 4. Also included is Dowd’s “bait and switch” analysis of war motives, Pentagon’s U. S. weapon inspectors, killing Odai and Ousai—sons of Hussein, bombing Iraq – Turkey oil pipeline, bombing Baghdad’s water main and UN HQ with subsequent reduction in personnel.

Other topics discussed include killing Ali Hakim and bombing near Ali Mosque, Shiite Shrine, citizen complaints, Bush requests $66 billion more for Iraq, killing Iraqi police officers and collaborators, UN rebuffs Bush request for aid and U. S. - led multinational force, failure of Kay’s Iraqi Survey Group of inspectors, Rumsfeld’s memo, Italian MP HQ bombed, Madrid Conference and aid, Bush’s visit to cohort Blair to lend support, Bush’s Thanksgiving Day visit to Baghdad and Kellogg, Brown and Root overcharges on rebuilding Iraq,

Post war occupation and governance in Iraq