The following is an archived copy of a message sent to a Discussion List run by the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq.

Views expressed in this archived message are those of the author, not of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq.

[Main archive index/search] [List information] [Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq Homepage]


[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

[casi] RITTER - US WILL LOOSE THE IRAQ WAR



 http://www.GuluFuture.com/news/scott_ritter030325.htm

US WILL LOOSE THE IRAQ WAR
-SAYS SCOTT RITTER

25th March, 2003
by Fintan Dunne, Editor
http://www.GuluFuture.com

 Thorn in the side of the American administration, and former UN weapons
inspector Scott Ritter, has warned that America will loose the Iraq war and
the American military: "will leave Iraq with its tail between its legs."

  In an interview with Irish radio, Mr. Ritter said that the conflict would
become an "absolute quagmire," and the US-UK advance would stall outside
Bhagdad and fail to capture the city.
  "We find ourselves... facing a nation of 23 million, with armed elements
numbering around 7 million --who are concentrated at urban areas. We will
not win this fight. America will loose this war," said Mr. Ritter.
  According to Mr. Ritter, too many in the Pentagon have listened to: "the
blithering of Iraqi expatriates," whose agenda coincides with
neo-conservatives in the White House.
  "We're in Iraq --carrying out the right-wing neo-conservative motives of
a
handful of people. The Richard Perle's, Paul Wolfowitz's; the Dick
Cheney's.
And we've allowed them to hijack our foreign policy," he told Irish
broadcaster, Vincent Browne on the RTE1 radio "Tonight Show."
  He warned that Shia Muslims in the South were not fighting because of
intimidation by the Iraqi government, but because of nationalistic and
religious reasons.
 "They're doing it because, the American Crusader Infidel has invaded and
violated Holy Iraq, and they will resist us, and they will resist us
strongly," said Mr. Ritter. "We are not liberating Iraq, we are destroying
Iraq," he added later in the interview.
  Scott Ritter, is a former U.N. weapons inspector and author of the book
"Endgame." Ritter, a ballistic missile technology expert, worked in
military
intelligence during his 12-year career in the U.S. armed forces. In 1998,
Ritter resigned from the U.N. Special Commissions team to protest Clinton
Administration policies that he said subverted the weapons inspection
process.
  Full Transcript & Audio follows below.

 Discussion of situation in Iraq from
Tonight Show, on RTE1 24th March, 2003


Listen to
Ritter
 Realplayer 3 minsListen to full Gulf War Analysis Segment Audio
25 minutes[ Realplayer]

Vincent Browne:
 " Scott Ritter...
are you surprised by how
the assault in Iraq is going?
Scott Ritter:
 " No actually, I wrote a paper that was published last Fall, that
predicted
just this. And i'm a little disturbed in listening to some of the analysis
going along here.

I think that one of the reasons the American find themselves in such
difficulties in Iraq, is that so many in the Pentagon have listened to
the... blithering of Iraqi expatriots who have spoken out --rightly so--
against Saddam Hussein, and who think that it's a) the role of the United
States to liberate Iraq; and b) think that the Iraqi people want us to
liberate them from Saddam.

And I think that the harsh reality is that in buying off on the
expectations
of being greeted in the streets of Iraq with song and flowers... we now
find
we are being greeted with bullets and bombs.

And it's the Shia in the south who are fighting us. They're not doing it
because Chemical Ali is down there with his death squads threatening to
execute 'em.

They're doing it because, the American Crusader Infidel has invaded and
violated Holy Iraq, and they will resist us, and they will resist us
strongly.

And no matter how many Iraqi's we kill and slaughter, I predict that
America
will loose this war and ultimately the American military will leave Iraq
with its tail between its legs.

Unfortunately, we're going to inflict a tremenduous amount of death and
destruction on the people of Iraq; the American soldiers and Marines will
also pay a price.

And all those who sit outside of Iraq and courageously encourage Americans
to go in and slaughter Iraqi's should be ashamed of themselves."

Vincent Browne:"...You think the Americans will loose this war? "
Scott Ritter:
 " We lost Vietnam....

Remember we can kill many, many Iraqui's and we will do so. But I am
telling
you right now, that we do not have sufficient combat power in Iraq --as we
speak-- to win this battle. So we will have to reinforce considerably.

The current posture, in terms of American deployment, is predicated on a
presumption that the Iraqi Army would surrender; that the Iraqi people
would
welcome; that the internsational community would support.

The exact opposite is happening.

And now we find ourselves with fewer than 120,000 boots on the ground;
facing a nation of 23 million, with armed elements numbering around 7
million --who are concentrated at urban areas.

We will not win this fight. America will loose this war.

Saddam Hussein may die... But you know what?

I'm betting that Saddam's gonna be around a lot longer than anyone can
predict.

I'm betting that we don't capture Bhagdad.

I'm betting that we stall outside Bhagdad.

I'm betting that this becomes an absolute quagmire.

I hope I'm wrong, for the sake of the American lives that are going to be
lost. Remember I'm a 12 year veteran of the Marine Corps. I fought in the
first Gulf War. I know what war is about. I know what defending my country
is about.

This is a bad war, because it has nothing to do with the defense of the
United States of America. Iraq doesn't have weapons of mass destruction.
The
Bush Administration has pulled an enormous lie to the international
community; to the American people.

And now we're in Iraq --carrying out the right-wing neo-conservative
motives
of a handful of people; the Richard Perle's, Paul Wolfowitz's; the Dick
Cheney's. And we've allowed them to hijack our foreign policy.

And they've been cheered on by these Iraqi expatriots, who have zero
credibility in my eyes. They're so brave and they want Iraq liberated...
Then my goodness man, go to Iraq... fight and die for your country... But
don't ask Americans to do it.





_______________________________________________
Sent via the discussion list of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq.
To unsubscribe, visit http://lists.casi.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/casi-discuss
To contact the list manager, email casi-discuss-admin@lists.casi.org.uk
All postings are archived on CASI's website: http://www.casi.org.uk


[Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq Homepage]