Ignoring the Intelligence

Here's a link to a Register editorial earlier this week on congressional hearings about various intelligence agencies warning before the Iraq war began that while an apparent military victory would not be difficult to achieve, the subsequent occupation would be difficult, and establishing democracy would be virtually impossible, as Iraq had never had a democracy in its entire history. It's hard to know whether or not policymakers actually read any of these reports before the war, but they were available and were roundly ignored. The administration, as I've said many times, seems to have believed its own propaganda and simply didn't have a plan for after "mission accomplished." They made it up as they went along. I used to write that at the time but wasn't sure whether or not I was exaggerating. Apparently I was understating the case.