"M Potter" <m_k_potter@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:371117a5.0307151046.459643eb@posting.google.c om...
> "Martin McPhillips" <nospam@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:<3tUQa.26854$GF2.6717210@twister.nyc.rr.com>. ..
> > "Scott Erb" <scotterb@worldnet.att.net> wrote in message
> > news:8gUQa.55556$0v4.3795791@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
> > >
> > > "Donald L Ferrt" <wolfbat359@mindspring.com> wrote in message
> > > news:b9eb3efe.0307150624.263a83fc@posting.google.c om...
> > > >
> > >
> >
http://www.montanaforum.com/rednews/...postwar.php?nn
> > > n=6
> > > >
> > > > Analysis: U.S. failed to plan for postwar Iraq
> > > > Knight Ridder News
> > > >
> > > > WASHINGTON - The small circle of senior civilians in the
Defense
> > > > Department who dominated planning for postwar Iraq failed to
> > prepare
> > > > for the setbacks that have erupted over the past two months.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > The officials didn't develop any real postwar plans because
they
> > > > believed that Iraqis would welcome U.S. troops with open arms
and
> > > > Washington could install a favored Iraqi exile leader as the
> > country's
> > > > leader. The Pentagon civilians ignored CIA and State
Department
> > > > experts who disputed them, resisted White House pressure to
back
> > off
> > > > from their favored exile leader and when their scenario
collapsed
> > amid
> > > > increasing violence and disorder, they had no backup plan.
> > >
> > > Of course! I couldn't believe the pre-war optimism that we
would be
> > > welcomed, celebrated as heros, and democracy easily installed.
I
> > noted that
> > > experts in political systems (like they have at the CIA and
State
> > > Department) have long concluded that sort of thing isn't likely
in a
> > country
> > > like Iraq. They let fantasy dictate strategy, wishful think
tank
> > thinking
> > > dictate policy...and America will pay the price.
> >
> > Two and a half months after Iraq was liberated:
> >
> > http://nytimes.com/aponline/internat...P-Iraq.html?hp
> > Iraqi Council Convenes in First Step Towards Self-Government
> > By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
> >
> > Filed at 2:06 p.m. ET
> >
> > BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- A 25-member governing council of prominent
> > Iraqis from diverse political and religious backgrounds was named
at
> > an inaugural meeting Sunday, the first national body since the
fall of
> > Saddam Hussein and a crucial first step on the nation's path to
> > democracy.
>
> Yes, this is the relatively easy part, picking 25 "prominent Iraqis"
> and calling them a governing council.

Actually, finding 25 Iraqis from the various factions within
Iraq who were both suitable and dedicated to the job
of forming a new government was probably pretty difficult.

I suspect that they'll make very good progress, create
a federal system that gives a lot of control to regional
and local authorities so that the various ethnic and
religious communities can be accommodated, and in
the end come up with a fairly strong government
that features some pretty strong law and order functions.

In the meantime, the U.S. and U.K. need to keep
killing the snipers and assorted terrorists, keep
working on the infrastructure, and get the oil industry
up and running so that there's a good homegrown
supply of cash.