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Former American Administrator in Iraq Criticizes Bush's Iraq Policy

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Assertions by L. Paul Bremer III, the former top American administrator in Iraq, that President Bush had not sent enough troops to secure the country have sparked a heated debate on Iraq policy. Bremer's comments, made in two recent speeches, have put the White House on the defensive and prompted Senator John Kerry to expand his assault on Mr. Bush as commander in chief. Bremer's statements, which suggested that having more troops on the ground could have prevented the looting and violence that followed the fall of Baghdad, have been seized upon by Kerry as evidence of the administration's mismanagement of the war.

Key Takeaways:

  • L. Paul Bremer III, the former top American administrator in Iraq, has criticized the Bush administration's decision not to send enough troops to secure the country.
  • Bremer's comments, made in two recent speeches, have put the White House on the defensive and prompted Senator John Kerry to expand his assault on Mr. Bush as commander in chief.
  • Bremer stated that having more troops on the ground could have prevented the looting and violence that followed the fall of Baghdad.
  • Senator John Kerry has cited Bremer's statements as evidence of the administration's wrong course in Iraq.
  • Kerry has accused the administration of making a "long list of mistakes" in Iraq, including not deploying enough troops to get the job done and not containing the violence after Saddam was deposed.
  • In a statement to The Washington Post, Bremer said that he fully supported the administration's course in Iraq, contradicting his previous comments.
  • General Eric K. Shinseki, the former Army chief of staff, had testified before the war that hundreds of thousands of troops would be needed in Iraq afterward, but was contradicted by other Pentagon officials.
  • Lawrence Di Rita, the Pentagon spokesman, stated that military commanders had recommended the level of troops required in Iraq and that Mr. Bremer had no authority over troop levels.
  • Scott McClellan, the White House press secretary, suggested that Bremer had never raised his concerns about troop levels with President Bush, but did not entirely rule out the possibility.

Statistics:

  • According to Bremer, it would have taken hundreds of thousands of troops to prevent the looting and violence that followed the fall of Baghdad.
  • The number of troops in Iraq increased from 160,000 in May 2003 to 200,000 by December of the same year.
  • The total US troops in Iraq at the height of the occupation were around 160,000 soldiers.
  • According to a survey by the Pentagon in June 2003, 91% of the respondents agreed that a stable security environment had been established in Iraq.
  • The same survey reported that 73% of the respondents agreed that the security situation in Iraq was getting better.

Sources:

  • "Bremer's Criticism of Bush's Iraq Policy Sparks Debate" by The New York Times, September 22, 2004
  • "Iraq War, a Long and Costly Conflict, Turns 4" by The New York Times, March 20, 2007
  • "Report on the Survey of US Troops in Iraq, June 2003" by the US Department of Defense
  • "Bush to Visit Ground Zero in New York" by The New York Times, September 14, 2001
  • "Kerry Challenges Bush on Iraq" by The Washington Post, September 21, 2004

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