Iraq: 63 % of the casualties were civilians

[Vladimir]

America

Breeding new terrorists one dead father and brother at a time.

Forget the Muslim terrorists, it's the German and Japanese terrorists I'm worried about. They've been in sleeper cells for over 60 years!

[Strike For The South]

Forget the Muslim terrorists, it's the German and Japanese terrorists I'm worried about. They've been in sleeper cells for over 60 years!

Differinate between two advanced nation states which were led directly into ruin by there ideals and an idea that nourishes a permanent underclass in one of the most desperate areas in the world.

In 10 years Iraq will be ruled by another strongman and we will be nothing but poorer for it.

[Ronin]

how could this be done?...
you just don´t lead them as much.

[Tellos Athenaios]

I wouldn't go quite that far. If you were to assert that numerous folks in the Bush admin were looking for almost any semi-valid excuse to hammer Saddam, and that they let themselves fall prey to this in their decision-making, I'd agree. It is SO easy to see what you want to see in questionable data if you already have a set goal in mind.

Oh but it is not just the Americans here. The UK, the Netherlands etc. etc. as well. Iraq Enquiries tells us as much.

You would have a lot of trouble convincing a jury that it was treasonous. All of the actors in the drama were genuinely convinced that Saddam's removal was in the best interests of the USA; and Saddam had already (at least in strict de jure terms) provided a casus bellum by not adhering to the letter of each of the cease-fire protocols of 1992. As such, it would be hard to argue treason. Negligence, etc. you could make a better case for.

On the part of the Bush admin, you can't. Technically for none of those governments you can maintain a case of treason. But things like that UN briefing by Mr. Powell are not quite “kosher” either, or the selective use of “intel”/“evidence” to massage Congress/Lower House/2nd Chamber and various national equivalents are not according to the rules of the game either. And especially the latter component is so perilously close to treason...

Where does incompetence turn into negligence? Where does negligence turn into dereliction of duty? Where does dereliction of duty turn into treason?

[Vladimir]

When does night turn into day? When does the earth turn into sky? When does...

[Sarmatian]

So America used lies, half-truths, wrong information while it was furthering its own interests and interests of its ruling elite and tried to cover it up later again using outright lies, half-truths and propaganda, just like any other great power had done since... well, ever. And people are surprised? Really?

[rory_20_uk]

Good summary. The winners write the history and invariably they come out in a good light.

[Tellos Athenaios]

When does night turn into day? When does the earth turn into sky? When does...

When does employee motivation turn into waterboarding?

@Sarmatian: no, not really. But it is powerful component in the answer to why the Iraq War is considered wrong by its opponents.