"Report: Iraq Problems Were Anticipated" NO SHIT!!!

[in_cog_ni_to]

Report: Iraq Problems Were Anticipated
By KATHERINE SHRADER, Associated Press Writer

25 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - U.S. intelligence analysts predicted, in two papers widely circulated before the 2003 Iraq invasion, that al-Qaida would see U.S. military action as an opportunity to increase its operations and that Iran would try to shape the post-Saddam era.<snip>

<snip>
Democrats said the documents, part of a Senate Intelligence Committee investigation released Friday, make clear that the Bush administration was warned about the challenges it now faces as it tries to stabilize Iraq.

"Sadly, the administration's refusal to heed these dire warnings _ and worse, to plan for them _ has led to tragic consequences for which our nation is paying a terrible price," said Senate Intelligence Chairman Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va.<snip>

<snip>
Among other conclusions, the analysts found:

_ Establishing a stable democracy in Iraq would be a long, steep and probably turbulent challenge. They said that contributions could be made from 4 million Iraqi exiles and Iraq's impoverished, underemployed middle class. But they noted that opposition parties would need sustained economic, political and military support.

_ Al-Qaida would see the invasion as a chance to accelerate its attacks, and the lines between al-Qaida and other terrorist groups "could become blurred." In a weak spot in the analysis, one paper said that the risk of terror attacks would spike after the invasion and slow over the next three to five years. However, the State Department recently found that attacks last year alone rose sharply.

_ Domestic groups in Iraq's deeply divided society would become violent, unless stopped by the occupying force. "Score settling would occur throughout Iraq between those associated with Saddam's regime and those who have suffered most under it."

_ Iraq's neighbors would jockey for influence and Iranian leaders would try to shape the post-Saddam era to demonstrate Tehran's importance in the region. The more Tehran didn't feel threatened by U.S. actions, the analysts said, "the better the chance that they could cooperate in the postwar period." Me: Hmmmm....axis of evil anyone????

_ Military action to eliminate Iraq's weapons of mass destruction would not cause other governments in the region to give up such programs.

As numerous investigations have found, the intelligence agencies of the United States and its allies were wrong about Iraq's supposed weapons programs.<snip>

http://www.comcast.net/news/politics/index.jsp?cat=POLITICS&fn=/2007/05/25/672665.html

[Captain Hilts]

1. Read Trudy Rubin's book "Willful Ignorance." They were going no matter what.

The war is not Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, John Kerry's, etc. fault. It's George W. Bush's fault.

[BOSSHOG]

2. Problems with bush anticipated - liberals screaming that in 2000

But I guess we have to settle for the fucking insanity, crime, lies and total incompetence of the republican party because bush is a "christian" supported by lunatics who really cherish THEIR constitutional liberties.