U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has admitted to tactical mistakes in Iraq:
"Yes, I know we have made tactical errors, thousands of them," she said in answer to a question over whether lessons had been learned since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.
"I believe strongly that it was the right strategic decision, that Saddam had been a threat to the international community long enough," she added.
What is the connection between strategy and tactics? Aren't all the little tactical moves the threads from which the strategy rope is made? And if thousands of them were twisted or frail or broken, isn't the rope itself no good?
I can see counterarguments to this view. It's possible that the means and the end can be treated in a Jesuit-like manner. But the timing of the decision to take Saddam down really was the most idiotic blunder of them all. Like deciding to have those unsightly varicose veins removed the day after your doctor tells you abot a positive cancer test.
This seems to be the day for parables...