'I'M NOT A UNILATERALIST'

The usual phrase is, there was no planning for the post-conflict phase. And the real problem is that the conflict hasn't ended and that there is an enemy still out there actively trying to prevent the emergence of a new Iraq. But on Jan. 30 [Iraq's Election Day], they were handed a stunning defeat by the Iraqi people, whom they attempted to intimidate. I think people shouldn't have been surprised that a regime that had burrowed into Iraqi society over 35 years and killed and tortured and intimidated people so effectively didn't quit just because they were driven out of Baghdad on April 9, 2003.

But do you think there were mistakes? We said we were going in to get weapons of mass destruction but there were no weapons of mass destruction, so there were obvious mistakes, right?

And there were some great successes as well. And I think if people want to go through this exercise, they ought to first do an assessment and put the pluses up there with the minuses. And if the purpose is to learn lessons so that we can finish winning this war, I would say focus on why it is that the people who abused and tortured that country for 35 years have proven to be so resilient. That's where the problem lies.

© 2005