Time To Thank The French

Got to give credit where credit is due. Our erstwhile friends the French probably made the biggest contribution to the success of the war in Iraq by, in concert with the Russians, convincing Saddam he could survive an American land invasion. Saddam, being the obvious student of history he is, went ahead and took this brilliant military advice from Jacques.

As a result, Saddam sat more immobile than Hitler when he was convinced Patton was coming ashore at Calais. So convinced of French and Russian intervention he conveniently ignored every indication of what awaited him. So convinced as his salvation was he that he didn't bother to create a real plan for defending his country. All this because the French and Russians convinced him that the war would begin with a long, drawn out bombing campaign during which the UN would be used to try to stop us.

And Saddam believed the whispered promises from Paris. He believed the shadowy statements coming from Moscow.

Paris and Moscow unwittingly saved hundreds of American lives with their disinformation campaign. Think of how many more casualties we would have had if the Iraqis had actually put up a fight. They tried to save Saddam, but instead they cost him everything: his dictatorship, his sons, and quite possibly his own life.

Thanks for the help, Jacques! Think you can pull off the same thing with Tehran?