On this the fifth anniversary of the disastrous invasion and occupation of Iraq, the New York Times sees fit to commemorate the event with their their “Reflections on the Invasion of Iraq” in which they feature “nine experts on military and foreign affairs to reflect on their attitudes in the spring of 2003 and to comment on the one aspect of the war that most surprised them or that they wished they had considered in the prewar debate.”

The New York Times has a special responsibility regarding the invasion of Iraq. They did, after all, virtually turn over their front page to Judith Miller, who as a defacto member of the White House Iraq Group, used it to spread the Bush administration lies that became the hallmark of the run-up to the war. Now five years later, the Times has turned over its opinion page to, with one exception, vocal supporters of the war, all of whom find someone else to blame for the debacle.

A significant part of this gaggle is indeed a rogue's gallery. Richard Pearle argues that the war would have been fine and dandy if only Colin Powell, Condi Rice, and George Tenant had not messed it up.

Kenneth “they'll greet us with sweats and flowers” Pollack doesn't bother to name anyone specifically, instead choosing just to marvel at the “the reckless arrogance of the Bush administration”. L. Paul Bremer blames the lack of a Bush administration plan for the chaos which followed the invasion. Frederick Kagan and Anthony Cordesman heap more blame on the Bushies while Paul Eaton blames Congress.

Danielle Pletka, bizarrely claims that “if we were wrong, we were in good and honest company.” Good? Honest? The lies of the Bush administration in the run-up to the war have been well documented by this point and “good” or “honest” are not words that immediately come to mind. Ultimately Pletka doesn't blame the Bush administration. She blames the Iraqis who she claims lack the “freedom gene.” (Ah, the white man's/woman's burden trying to civilize the savages.) Incredible that after invading and occupying their country, causing the deaths of 4,000 Americans with another 40,000 wounded, and as many as a million Iraqi dead, Ms. Pletka blames it all on Iraqi genetic inferiority. 

There is a certain comedic value of watching these hacks blame everyone but themselves, yet I wonder if this is an appropriate commemoration of the cost in blood and treasure of this tragic misadventure. Might it not be worthwhile to address the larger lesson of why we should not launch wars of choice have how we can avoid debacles like the Bush administration's invasion of Iraq? Finger pointing is amusing but a poor substitute for honesty or insight.