There was no plan for the occupation?
From TruthAboutIraq
Bill Clinton signed the Iraq Liberation Act in 1998, which contemplated a democratic post-Saddam Iraq:
- "It is the sense of the Congress that once the Saddam Hussein regime is removed from power in Iraq, the United States should support Iraq's transition to democracy by providing immediate and substantial humanitarian assistance to the Iraqi people, by providing democracy transition assistance to Iraqi parties and movements with democratic goals, and by convening Iraq's foreign creditors to develop a multilateral response to Iraq's foreign debt incurred by Saddam Hussein's regime."
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[edit] New York Times, October 11 2002
Five months before the invasion of Iraq, David E. Sanger and Eric Schmitt published a piece for the New York Times detailing the extensive plans being debated and put into place by the White House, the military, and other departments of government.
See U.S. Has a Plan to Occupy Iraq, Officials Report
[edit] BBC October 11 2002
The BBC reported on October 11, 2002 that "the Bush administration is developing a detailed plan to occupy Iraq and install an American-led military government in Baghdad if the US topples Saddam Hussein."
See BBC: US 'planning occupation of Iraq'.
[edit] New York Times, January 6 2003
Another extensive piece written for the New York Times, by David E. Sanger and James Dao, appeared in early January of 2003, months before the invasion, detailing how "Pres Bush's national security team is assembling final plans for administering and democratizing Iraq after expected ouster of Saddam Hussein; plans call for heavy American military presence in country for at least 18 months, military trials of only most senior Iraqi leaders and quick takeover of country's oil fields to pay for reconstruction; proposals amount to most ambitious American effort to administer country since occupations of Japan and Germany at end of World War II; many elements of plans are highly classified, and some are still being debated as Bush's team tries to allay concerns that US will seek to be colonial power in Iraq; broad outlines show enormous complexity of task in months ahead, and point to some of difficulties that would follow even swift and successful removal of Hussein from power."
See Threats and Responses: The White House; U.S. Is Completing Plan To Promote A Democratic Iraq
[edit] Plans Discussed in Congress, February 11 2003
Undersecretary of Defense Douglas Feith gave testimony in Congress more than a month before the invasion to answer questions about the extensive planning being done at the Department of Defense for the post-war occupation. A transcript of his opening statement may be read here
