Friday, Sept. 17, 2004 | 5:17 a.m.
WEEKEND EDITION
September 18 - 19, 2004
It seems that our Iraq policy was based on wishful thinking by President Bush's advisers. A country with so many divisions doesn't adapt easily to democracy.
Saddam controlled a country with warring groups that hate each other the same way that Marshall Tito controlled Yugoslavia -- by force. In Saddam's last years in office, he was more interested in building more palaces than attacking anyone. Saddam is not suicidal or stupid and he knew that provoking us would be both.
If we had been greeted as liberators and had been allowed to install as president Ahmed Chalabi or someone like him who would allow us to build bases in Iraq, the invasion might have been justified. But since we have already killed 25,000 Iraqis it is unlikely that they will ever want our troops stationed in Iraq.
JIM RILEY
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