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What Has the U.S. Achieved in Iraq?

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    Reflecting on the past and planning for the future

  • Duration 4:44
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Lot of people think that they -- was just a single event but it was really a six month manhunt a lot of fighting a lot of blood a lot of treasure let up.

Through the -- that eventually got him and this is that story.

How critical take us back wasn't to capture Saddam Hussein I think it was essential.

For the Iraqi People to.

Really believe that he was gone.

We kind of saw -- rise in their hopes when Uday and cue say were killed.

But when it when he was actually taken out of the picture you you could really see.

-- chance for their hopes to in the future.

I just look I'm glad Saddam it it it was a car I want to be very clear about that and I remember going to sit I'm going to -- with Jim Pinkerton in the car.

And our translators have what you think Saddam Hussein -- -- well and integrate warm but I thought it was a bad guy.

I -- Saddam Hussein -- -- why.

My children they safe to walk to school at wake up and -- -- -- -- Obama Saddam -- and what about mass graves nobody perfect.

And then you have to admit this part of the prevailing sense in Iraq.

-- sure if you if you went to Munich in 1945.

And asked them.

What do you think in the -- our cities and rubble and -- still remained the trains run -- exactly so like.

You go -- -- same questions today you'll see a much different around.

Well I don't know because it is it's is it's I mean frankly some minorities Christians gay folk etc.

-- a lot better under Saddam Hussein.

I think -- weigh in what questions are being terribly persecuted there I mean you can talk about that.

Well I if I think it's been a longstanding problem in the Middle East that.

Minorities religion -- persecuted Christians and in Lebanon where I hit Mike Stanley where -- come from of them that live that that side up for a long time but I do.

Agree I heard I heard the lieutenant colonel this morning -- a great interview on Don Imus show and you and you made lieutenant colonel I think warned that the best.

Some cases.

For why Iraq made sense which is today you do have.

Such an opportunity to see this new nation built -- that gives a whole generation now of people real hole and I just hope we're able to sustain your -- with the escalating.

-- obviously tension with Iran and the -- They connection between well.

There are there Iraqi and Arab and -- first they're not Persian and so we -- they fought against Iran for decades but I had to answer your question on.

You know whether or not could be better off for all of that an under certain groups.

In 1953 if you would have asked the folks of South Korea what's the future look like -- you're standing -- -- rice -- -- rubble.

-- the third most powerful economy in the Pacific rim you're driving Kia automobiles in New York City you there's a lot of hope in future in Iraq today.

Can I ask you about.

The future of Iraq in terms of the forces there are they as capable as the US military had hoped they would be because that the violence remains in certain parts.

So I went back as a part of this book to research the enemy side which was fascinating and in 2008 with Brian Bennett that time from time magazine we went back on -- trip together he was a bit -- with us.

We were amazed at the security level even at that time.

We entered it on a civilian airliner drove.

22 crypt from Baghdad and a civilian car no better way to test the security -- -- choose yourself on our -- I think entire Fallujah so -- I was amazed at how much things have turned around even at that point and and now I correspond with my Iraqi friends via FaceBook and just it it's really change their a great deal for the better.

Do we have more to do.

You know we need to really engage them economically there on the most favored nation trade status now we need to quit thinking of them as enemies and start thinking of them as allies like we did with Germany and Japan after World War II it's.

But it was interesting yesterday.

Al-Maliki -- At the presidents -- White House briefing.

And he didn't really wanna say whether the Syrian leader should be deposed there and then his neighbors so they're not that he's playing it right down -- -- so well now.

-- you have to remember that this -- is the last baathist pulled out.

You've got 30% of your country and -- Sunni based and -- system believe so.

I mean he is going to be guarded with 30% of the population that's just good politics.

Well do you think they're still though an anti American sentiment among the Iraqi People there'll always be the diehards that were raised.

Under decades of hatred.

And Saddam bad melting and bashing America.

They will be hard to convince but in time.

I think we saw the same way after other places that we've been we've formed very strong bonds and other places in the world there's every reason to believe that we will have -- in the future.

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