Kindling

This is a predictable weekly event. An important official - government, military, or otherwise - eases their troubled conscience and 'tells all' about some aspect of the Iraq war planning or experience that violated all procedure.

The planning is usually described as being poor, muddled, lacking, or some other word of that nature.

The official is someone right in the center of the storm with essential leadership responsibility.

Where were these people four years ago? Clearly they knew in their own heart that something was utterly wrong, yet their convictions were not quite strong enough to step forward at a more crucial moment, more crucial being while the disconnect was actually occurring.

Toppled in Baghdad, clueless in Whitehall

For the first time, the British general at the heart of postwar planning for Iraq tells Heidi Kingstone of the chaos in London and Washington

The heart of the matter was simple: postwar planning was completely incoherent. “The plan was, we do not need a plan,” said Cross last week.

Another breach thrown onto the fire of this great calamity in Iraq. Point all fingers directly at the Republican Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld/neocon confused cadre for starting the whole mess.

The vast majority of Americans want the troops out. The vast majority of Iraqis want the troops out. The people in the center of the operation change the look of the final outcome each month from democracy, to separate states, to a new dictatorship, to whatever seems handy for that moment. The troops express their doubts about the mission regularly. The architects step forward day after day and talk about their disbelief regarding their own area of contribution/skill set planning or experience. Yet we remain in Iraq, and there is no viable end in sight.