December 31st 2024.
During a meeting in 2004, George Bush's deputy secretary of state, Richard Armitage, expressed his hope that British Prime Minister Tony Blair would be able to persuade President Bush to change course in Iraq. According to newly released UK government files, Armitage believed that Bush saw the Iraq War as a "mission from God" and needed a "dose of reality" from Blair.
In his conversation with then-British ambassador Sir David Manning, Armitage stressed the importance of utilizing Blair's relationship with the president to push for a political solution in Iraq. He revealed that Bush had initially wanted to "kick ass" in response to the Iraqi resistance, but was warned that such actions could lead to the collapse of the coalition and further turmoil in the region. This realization, as Armitage put it, had made Bush "more sober."
The documents also show Armitage dismissing a US commander's claims that they could quickly suppress an uprising in Fallujah, calling it "bullshit." This would later prove to be true as the offensive in Fallujah turned out to be one of the biggest failures of the Iraq campaign, with the tactics used by US forces and the resulting civilian deaths causing outrage.
During the meeting, Armitage painted a grim picture of the situation in Iraq, stating that more troops would be needed to regain control but that it would be politically damaging for Bush. He saw the UN and its envoy Lakhdar Brahimi as the only viable exit strategy for the US. Two weeks later, after the deaths of American troops and hundreds of Iraqis, the offensive in Fallujah was called off.
It wasn't until November 2004, after the deaths of many more troops and civilians, that Fallujah was finally captured by coalition forces. The US would remain in Iraq until 2011. Looking back, it is clear that Armitage's warnings and recommendations were not taken seriously enough, leading to a prolonged and devastating war in Iraq.
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