And, on the same topic, we have an interview with former Treasuary Secretary Paul O,Niell from 2004 by way of CBS News
I can't believe that these dumb, dumb, dumb moronic f**kwits are actually in charge of whole countries (or actually, I can)...
I still incline to the Arab view that the current situation was accurately forecast and is all going to plan. As I thought back in November 04 The planners just didn't confide in Bush & Blair, they were given the sanitised briefing. And were stupid enough to believe it. I was wrong about them waiting till the invaders left, but who would have thought they'd still be there in 2006? Not Blair.
I think you are right. I find it impossible to conceive that the architects of this war could not foresee what little old us have so clearly have seen coming all this time. It doesn't take genius, just common sense (which is where Bush and Blair fall down, I suppose). So this must be a deliberate "divide and rule" strategy. I just think it is interesting that Bush and Blair couldn't see this. It neatly supports the theory that they are really just figureheads for the real people in power, and have been selected for their limited intelligence, media charisma and mallability, and purposefully groomed for the job.
It is interesting that the research the state department did for an entire year on the situation was discarded and individuals were removed from the project. In Britain, on a smaller scale, several notable advisers were removed. This meant that the information received by Bush and Blair was 'sanitised' of 'existing political bias'. I had the great advantage of being at university and studying under/working alongside some of the academics who were involved in planning or close to the situation through contacts in Europe and the UN. They were perplexed and frustrated at being discarded in what was clearly a build up to a dangerous situation and we ran private lectures at the university and held debates to assess the situation, there were guest speakers from other universities and it was very clear that what was occuring was highly unusual.