Why did we go into Iraq?

[warch]

So you agree that Rumsfeld is a bad leader?

Headsplice, you mention the protection of cultural sites: I know a bit about one.
I met a woman that served as the army's cultural liason officer to the Iraq National Museum. She was there within months of the invasion working with the small staff and had the support of soldiers, MPs and even Italian curators! (but frustratingly, no conservators) Stuff was done. The order was not to fire on these sites unless fired upon from them, and that seems to have been followed, back then. The looting of objects was way overblown by the press, by the time looters got there, it was mostly huge artworks and office equipment. Lots of tiny cylinder seals are still missing.
She had some great stories that I cant do justice. She returned to the states and retired from the army reserves. Looting does occur at archeological sites but is impossible to inforce when so much else takes precident.

The Iraqi museum staff did a good, and rather heroic job of hiding stuff- the press didnt note that the empty glass cases in their photos were not broken. There is a recognition that the custody of historical property poses the next most important economic asset, beyond oil. The museum now has a team of Iraqi guards, some new fortification. They get some care packages of supplies from other countries, but are on their own. Hearing her, I got how much the perception and reality of safety in Bagdad has changed. She was there before it got really deadly. You can forget how much the climate has changed.

This now retired officer, who lost people close to her and worries about those still serving, made one political comment, "We should never have gone into this without the plan and the troops to do it right."