Why Does the Media Make Our Generals Into Heroes When the Wars They Commanded Are Failures?

[coalition_unwilling]

23. I agree with you on one level (hence my comment that "perhaps that's as it

should be&quot . But do remember that one reason the U.S. backed Saddam Hussein so long (going back to at least the 80s and even earlier) was to use him and Iraq as a buffer against the spread of Iranian influence into the oil fields of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf emirates.

Thus, even while Reagan traded arms for hostages with Iran, he was also arming and abetting Iraq during the Iraq-Iran war.

As for Betray-us, he and his cohort bribed the Sunni resistance to the occupation to 'stand down' and cooperate with the CPA. We will never know what the outcome would have been, had the Sunni resistance continued, although I suspect it would probably have ended up much as your post suggests (Kurdish North, Sunni Center, Shia South). But Betray-us' efforts smoothed out the consolidation of Iranian influence in the organs of Iraqi governance, its parliament and executive.

That said, Iranian control of Iraq was NEVER a policy goal, stated or otherwise, that I'm aware of. Hence my "Pyrrhic victory" comment.