They labored, as everyone did, with the same faulty intelligence and lack of knowledge of Iraq’s fissured sectarian history. What they didn’t do was take wishes for reality.
At least the article is better than most such mea culpas which generally run along the lines of "well, I was wrong, but all those people who were against were wrong and misguided, so you should still listen to me, not them".
Though I'm a bit irked about the implication that Iraq's fissured sectarian history was some sort of mystery before 2003. I knew about it...you'd think someone who was paid to write about it would have done some fucking research.---- ウセーバラケダ
In fact, sometimes I wonder if, with the dawn of instant news, there will ever be two industrial nations willing to fight wars properly ever again. War is ugly business. This is why elective wars should only be undertaken when (a) all other options have been exhausted and (b) the cost in terms of lives is likely to be less than not going to war.
Out of curiosity, are you referring to mea culpas in general or do you have specific figures in mind who've changed their position vis a vis Iraq? It could just be the sort of conservative pundit that I'm drawn, but I've been seeing a full handful of ``I was wrong. I was all wrong.''
