a poorly planned choice

When you choose to go to war, your timing should be based on well-made plans. Considering that, by most accounts, this administration was hoping to go to war with Iraq within days after 9/11, you'd think they'd get the pre-war planning right.

This AP story says that the State Dept. warned otherwise prior to our entry into Iraq.

WASHINGTON - The State Department warned U.S. Central Command before the invasion of Iraq of "serious planning gaps" for postwar security, according to newly declassified documents.

In a memorandum dated Feb. 7, 2003 — one month before the beginning of the Iraq war — State Department officials also wrote that "a failure to address short-term public security and humanitarian assistance concerns could result in serious human rights abuses which would undermine an otherwise successful military campaign, and our reputation internationally."

No plan for war is ever perfect. However, you'd think that planners would do all that they could to eliminate potential problems, especially predictable ones. To me, it appears that these documents show that, in its thirsty rush for war, this administration did not do so.

If the invasion of Iraq were an emergency necessity, these oversights might be forgiveable; since it was not, they are not.