Sources: Pentagon rushed postwar plan

[arcos]

Sources: Pentagon rushed postwar plan

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A classified draft military review on lessons learned from the war in Iraq says planners did not have enough time to prepare for the so-called Phase IV operation -- the rebuilding and reconstruction of Iraq, according to Pentagon sources.

The review of the lessons is one of several being conducted throughout the military.

This particular assessment is an ongoing project of the senior members of the Joint Staff, which serves the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

<snip>

http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/09/03/sprj.irq.iraq.reconstr...

[King Bush II]

1. well jee

i could have told you that one

[htuttle]

2. As someone pointed out earlier, they were planning for years

The plans go back as far as '96 (at least).

In all that time, they never planned for what to do AFTER?

I think they spent that WHOLE time planning on how to trick us into starting the war.

[DuctapeFatwa]

3. Actually, there neither was nor is a need for a "postwar plan."

The only postwar plan is to seize the oil and move on to the next booty field.

The level of US concern for the Iraqi people and the nation's security and infrastructure has not undergone some magical sea change.

The record is pretty clear and speaks for itself.

[htuttle]

4. That may have been their plan

But it seems that they aren't even getting any significant oil out.

Did they not think about the problem of sabotage? Of guarding oil installations? Of handling the sticky legal issues involved with getting companies to sign tenuous contracts with an occupying power? (actually, I think they got that one licked. I'd bet the value of the contracts is backed up by US guarantees of full payment, even if the contract is invalidated by an international authority).

It's not just that they are imperialists. They are incompetent imperialists.

[DuctapeFatwa]

5. Halliburton has the contract to put out oil fires

The only thing that could pump right now is that little bit to Turkey, who isn't really going to pay the US even the $7 million a day for it, because some of the oil was part of the deal with Turkey.

So at this point, it is actually more profitable to have Halliburton extinguishing fires and billing the US for it.

There is some equipment that needs some maintenance after sanctions and bombing, and the idea is to get other countries to put up the money to do that, while the work and billing will be done by Halliburton, thus keeping any regime henchmen from having to part with any front money.

[TahitiNut]

6. What if they don't foresee a POSTwar?

[RC]

8. You mean "All War, All the Time?"

They had their eye on the ball. Their world view was that ball. Nothing else mattered.

[TahitiNut]

9. Yup.

That's called obsession. It's a mental disorder of extremists.

[RedEarth]

7. Rushed post war plan......???

I hope they didn't spend any money figuring that out. It is all too apparent that a post war plan was barely considered. The only thing the public was told prior to the invasion was the Iraqi citizens would greet our troops with flowers and open arms. Such an arrogant attitude by this administration....

[cliss]

10. Yes, isn't it amazing

that these men come from the business sector? I mean, were they really businessmen? I'm still scratching my head over that one.

As far as planning for after the war, I remember watching Paul Wolfowitz on some interview, and he was nodding his head and reassuring, oh yes, we've got it covered. It boggles the mind to think that he was just lying through his ass. They had NO plan for postwar reconstruction, NONE.

I think they were just so giddy from, after years of planning this (the PNAC has been trying to push its extremist agenda for about 20 years), that they just went bonkers.

[kainah]

11. thank god for investigative reporters!

Otherwise, we almost surely would never had a clue to this story! </sarcasm>

[Kool Kitty]

12. They rushed the postwar plan?

WHAT PLAN???

[Sweetpea]

13. You mean the Iraqis didn't rush to the postwar plan

They forgot to dance in the streets.