Having heard and read so often about roadside bombs as the weapon of choice for insurgents in Iraq, I had to make a comment.
President Bush and his administration are constantly berated for failing to have a plan in the aftermath of a quick war in Iraq. All of the Democratic candidates make this their prime focal point, especially Kerry, Lieberman, and Gephart, all of whom supported the conflict. Now they say they supported it, but are disappointed there was “no plan for the peace.”
I have absolutely no doubt there was a very detailed plan in place, and it has evolved as cicumstances required. Proof?
Consider a single item in the original budget for Iraqi reconstruction: garbage trucks. It drew a lot of criticism. My original thought was that it made perfect sense to make garbage collection a prime issue for health reasons. With all the NGOs of the world predicting thousands of deaths due to disease, cleaning up the streets seemed like a smart move.
Perhaps, though, the plan was even more detailed than that. The best way to eliminate the possibility of simple roadside bombs would be to ensure the streets are clean. Any object along a road would be cause for suspicion.
Now, I don’t really expect the Administration was that prescient, but you have to wonder!