You remember my mention of Jimmy Carter's National Security Adviser, Zbigniew Brzezinski? His chief military adviser was William Odom, who went on to be head of the National Security Agency under Reagan. Odom was a colleague of mine at Hudson Institute, very bright and opinionated. Odom loudly opposed the invasion of Iraq from the beginning. It wasn't just that it was executed badly (too few troops, for instance, or inadequate planning). It was fated to be a strategic disaster from the moment US troops' boots touched Iraqi soil: it strengthens America's enemies, hurts our relations with our allies, and destabilizes a regions whose stability ought to be our primary goal. You can read Odom's testimony to the Senate last week here:
He may be mistaken about how to get out, but Odom always rewards reading.
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