Like poppy Bush and pre-insane Dick Cheney, most of us now understand that invaded and occupied Iraq probably had zero chance of spitting out shining ponies that poop candy and flowers. Nonetheless some of our more inspired decisions along the way would doom any war. Atrios:
No one could have predicted that building a massive $600 million fortified embassy compound in Saddam Hussein’s palace would maybe send the wrong signal.
I know it’s so stunningly obvious that no one bothers to point it out anymore, but didn’t anyone raise their hand at a meeting [meetings? -ed.] and say that maybe, just maybe, taking control and occupying Saddam’s palace might not be such a good idea?
Reopening abu Ghraib. Disbanding the army. Stocking the Green zone with bright-eyed ideological nincompoops. Even if Iraq wasn’t hopeless, the Bushies tried to lose.