It seems that maybe Mssrs Perle, Wolfowitz and Feith need to make that first combat jump into Baghdad after all, Slate has an interesting piece that sort of follows their thinking about Iraq since about GWI. They of course, are the ones who believe(d) that the Iraqi people will welcome us with open arms and rose petals at the feet of our soldiers. Anyhow at a Senate hearing in the late 90's here's Perle being questioned by Senator Chuck Robb (D-VA USMC Officer, Combat Veteran/Vietnam)
...A good sense of what the hawks thought would happen can be found in an exchange that Perle had with Sen. Charles Robb at a Senate hearing in May 1998. When Perle claimed that "once Basra changed hands" the situation on the ground and in the region would "change dramatically," Robb pressed him on how things would get to that point: "Is someone going to have to physically stand on the Basra territory before this change in dynamic occurs? And if so, who is—which troops are going to accomplish that objective?" Perle replied, "I think Iraqi opposition elements, with relatively light armament could accomplish that, provided they were backed up by air power."...
Robb of course, (like Max Cleland of Georgia, another decorated Vietnam Vet) was replaced by the voters in his state by George Allen, a dyed-in-the-wool Chickenhawk with 0 years, 0 months, 0 days, 0 hours, 0 minutes creditable military service. It's no wonder that the congress never asked any questions, there aren't enough Vets to ask about those niggling questions about, like, oh say, troop strength, supply lines, reinforcements...you know, minor stuff. And why in the hell are the chickenhawks so in love with air power anyhow? Good stuff, but the guys on the ground take the objectives, sometimes one foot at a time, sometimes one inch at a time.
