We can't win in Iraq, says Powell

FORMER US secretary of state Colin Powell has revealed that he spent 2 1/2 hours vainly trying to persuade President George W. Bush not to invade Iraq and believes today's conflict cannot be resolved by US forces.
"I tried to avoid this war," Mr Powell said at the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado. "I took him through the consequences of going into an Arab country and becoming the occupiers."

In my opinion, the only man within the Bush administration that actually had his feet firmly on the ground.

"The civil war will ultimately be resolved by a test of arms. It's not going to be pretty to watch, but I don't know any way to avoid it. It is happening now," he said.

Here's the whitehouse, still refusing to admit that Iraq is in a state of civil war, without any roadmap to success, or timeline for withdrawl.. yet all the whitehouse continues to tell us is:

'' be patient ''

I'd like to know, what the strategy is once September has come about, and its revealed that the surge has failed? As is already obvious.
What is the next 'cl'eche' to be used, to continue the greyhounds chasing the sheep?

Im worried that President Bush will continue to sacrifice men, women and supplies for nothing but to save face. He only has to keep the public marching for another 12 months, to me he dares not be the president that retreats on a war he instigated.

Ive got just one question,

Being Iraq consists of 60/40 shia to sunni, what did we actually expect to occur once we occupied their nation?
From decades of sunni dominance through horrible means, exactly how did we expect shia and sunni to create a democratic government?

We hate Iran, and refuse to talk to them, yet Iranian influenced people make up a sizeable majority of Iraqi life.

Isnt it obvious by now, that this was never meant to become a democracy?
Saudi Arabia and Iran both warned us before we went in, that a civil war would ensue if we removed Saddam.
Colin Powell tried in vein to convince the president what would occur, yet we flooded Iraq with corporate ambition under the false pretense of creating a democratic Iraq.

Does it not occur to people, that there are more corporate mercenaries in Iraq now than regular Army?

www.news.com.au...

Why arent the leaders answering the peoples questions?
The people want answers, how did we get into this horrible mess?
How do you intend to get us out?
Why are your corporate lackies making billions from this war?
Why are our sons and daughters dying in vein?
Where's the intellegence you said was a 'slam-dunk'?
And best yet, what do you expect Iraqi's to do, to US Troops when they have illegially invaded and occupied their nation? And what would you do, if you were illegially invaded and occupied?

Definately agree with you in regards to Gen. Powell being the most grounded man over those parts.

To be honest though, the Americans are reaping what they have sewn. Having read many a book on the topic, and hearing inside information into the happenings in that region of the world, I honestly believe that the Americans are getting what they brought on themselves. From supplying Saddam with equipment and arms, through to supplying the Afghan Mujahadeen with arms and cash, the Yanks are starting to pay for it.

Maybe in the future the Americans will have a Government that tries to plan ahead, instead of thinking in the now. But that is just a longshot on my behalf I think.

What gets my blood boiling the most is that we have been dragged into this whole bloody mess. Sure, our Army men and women train for this, but I prefer seeing them doing their job for the RIGHT reasons, instead of being put in harms way because of an idiotic President, a few US Government hawks, and a gutless Australian Prime Minister. Let those fools spend ten minutes over there without protection, and maybe they will change their Foreign Policy quick smart.

Sure, I can understand them wanting to crack down on terrorism, but when OUR freedoms are becoming more restricted, and the terrorists keep on doing what they have to do, it's becoming a joke. Imprison Bush, Howard, and the rest of the cronies for this!!!!

Sure, we could just bomb the Middle East back into the Stone Age, but why waste the money and the munitions when they are already there???? *end sarcasm and attempted humour*

In another country at this point, nay, before this point in time, there would have been a military coup. This administration has reaped what it has sown, with its utter ignorant disregard for its military. "Support the troops" was propaganda.

Powell misjudged his President as someone with whom he could reason. Bush could not see the prophet in Powell but rather the military industrial profit. For this, soldiers have died needlessly.

Powell had been a warrior. Those he served had made deliberate choices to avoid military service. Bush's National Guard service was, at the time, a way to get out of going to VietNam and not available to everyone.

Powell's UN speech was a lesson in tragedy. He waived vials in the air for effect, and the graphic presentations were laughable. All this for a tin horn dictator who waved swords and rifles in the air, and had rockets on donkey carts.

Ask Marine General Mattis why he was not allowed to use his warrior wisdom in Fallujah, countermanded instead by someone "higher up" outside the military. Ask him about the troops he requested but was denied, at the time the Commander-In-Chief was telling his audiences that he was giving his generals the troops they asked for.

Americans must understand that warrior strength is not in firepower but in the wisdom in how to use that power. Next time they must elect, if not a person who understands warrior strength, at least a person with the brain power to match the military power they control.

The way out now?...Senator Joe Biden IMO has the right idea, an Iraq divided into three autonomous regions with a central capitol in Baghdad. A federal government.
The "surge" in Baghdad is really the last attempt at truly fighting a counterinsurgency, something that was done well by Petraus when he was elsewhere in Iraq. (A counterinsurgency fight is less "sexy", where firepower is minimized and outreach to the people one is supposed to help is maximized, to get them on your side, to show them you are of value to them.) He is the right man for the job, America's best hope to salvage the disaster.

Too bad my President cannot tell Americans the truth about what it takes to do the job his neocons wanted. But then maybe he doesn't understand it himself. Just as he didn't understand about the Sunni Shiite difference going in.