i believed that a modern democracy in iraq could be a new model of politics for the region, a middle ground between repressive dictatorships and islamic if a national simple and i never believed iraqi or arabs were somehow genetically incapable of self-rule. i do believe the u.s. needed to send in more troops than it did to maintain order. a urged a u.n. mandate to aan american occupation of a middle eastern country. i worried that iraq s sectarian divisions would pull the country apart. but it doesn t change the fact that i did support the decision to topple saddam hussein s regime. some good came of it. saddam was a gruesome dictator who killed hundreds of thousands and plunged his country into wars. iraq is now more free and open than almost any other abe rab country despite its struggles. occurred stan is a real success
democracy in iraq could be a new model of politics for the region, a middle ground between repressive dictatorships and islamic fanaticism, and i never believed iraqi or arabs were somehow genetically incapable of self-rule. i did urge the u.s. needed to send in more troops than it did to maintain order. i urged a u.n. mandate to provide greater legitimacy and avoid american occupation of a middle eastern country. i worried that iraq s sectarian divisions would pull the country apart. but it doesn t change the fact that i did support the decision to topple saddam hussein s regime. some good came of it. saddam was a gruesome dictator who killed hundreds of thousands and plunged his country into wars. iraq is now more free and open than almost any other arab country, despite its struggles. kurdistan is a real success
actually going into ground combat. 3,500 troops are on the ground training iraqi forces. the iraqi army abandoned its position. the same forces who had famously run from battle when confronted by isis. the iraqi army outnumbered isis 20 or 30-1 in mosul, iraq s second largest city, and basically surrendered it without a fight. perhaps the most important question is, does it make sense to go to war again in a country that may not even be a country anymore? listen to the people who know iraq well. iraq doesn t exist except lines on a map. most iraqis no longer see themselves as iraqis. they seem themselves as shia or
how? the obama administration has struggled to fight isis without actually going into ground combat. 3,500 troops are on the ground. training iraqi forces. the iraqi army abandoned its position. the same forces who had famously run from battle when confronted by isis. the iraqi army out numbered isis 20 or 30-1 in mosul. iraq s second largest city and basically surrendered it without a fight. perhaps the most important question is, does it make sense to go to war again in a country that may not even be a country anymore? listen to the people who know iraq well. iraq doesn t exist except lines on a map. most iraqis no longer see
they go silent when they are ready to attack, so the french move people up the list as they think they are moving toward violence and somebody like him, you know, fell at the bottom or in the middle and there s simply not the resources in europe to follow somebody like this cross borders or even in france. but then what do the authorities do? it s not the first time something like this has happened. well, the problem is if somebody expresses sympathy to the rebels in syria and iraq doesn t mean you re going to turn to violence. right. it s going to turn to terrorism. it s really, really hard to get in somebody s head. they have to make that commitment and when they do it, they are probably talking to an individual, these people are very compartmented, there s no organization that you can readily identify, and it s done from, you know, mouth-to-mouth, these plans like this. it appears, according to a source telling cnn, he was sort of in touch with isis members,