** The reason for the US going into Afghanistan and Iraq were the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. on 9/11/2001. That was the last straw. Other straws were the bombing of WTC in 1993, the bombing of US Embassies in 1998 and the attack on USS Cole in 2000.
What would have been a proper response? An early day "Leading from behind"?
I've got a different view of the US in Iraq and Afghanistan than most. In both wars the US got off to a good start, but went into Nation Building.
Nation Building in Afghanistan was especially stupid There are reason why everyone from Alex the Great to the USSR failed in controlling Afghanistan. Bushes learned nothing from that history.
IMO, Iraq was a different matter. Saddam was a mad man with huge territorial ambitions--and with lots of oil to pay for them. IMO the goal was worthwhile. The Bushes did a good job with the invasion and COMPLETELY BLEW the occupation! For starters they had no idea of the conflicts within Islam.
The invasion force of ~ 160K was obviously about right. It succeded. The Generals recommended an occupation force of 200K to 250K. The Bushes stayed with 160K.
I was living in SoCal at the time. I pictured 160K troops jammed into the Rose bowl and being told ( CA and Iraq are roughly the same size with similarly sized populations.
"Alright Troops, the people of CA have turned into mad dogs, and are hell bent on destroying you. We have fired all the law enforcement and are sending you brave troops to maintain law and order in every nook and cranny in the State. Watch out for those RPGs and IEDs"
The Bushes made a bad situation worse by sending all the Iraqi troops home with no money and no jobs. Idle hands are the Devil's work place.
The Bushes made it even worser, by firing all the Baathists. Baathist managers ran all the country's industry, transportation, and utilities. No water, no electricity, sewers plugged up. National Museume were looted. Chaos and anarchy reigned.
The Bushes had a great "Go By" to see what happens when chaos and anarchy reign.
That "Go By" was the Watts Riots in 1965. After two days of the chaos 4000 National Guardsmen were brought in to pacify TWO SQ MILES!!! Get the picture? The Bushes didn't.
That's my story and I'm stickn to it.
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