I think you make some good points. However, I do not take the funds problem as a planning problem, but an implementation problem: it is my impression that the money was supposed to be in the pipeline, and was taking too long to be distributed. Similarly, I agree we should have taken more prisoners, except that most of the potential prisoners faded into the woodwork once it was clear they couldn't prevail, so I am not sure what our options were.
I think you have more of a point about using the locals before vetting, rather than letting everything deteriorate while we reinvented the wheel. I am not so sure about starting out with a position of favoritism, even if contingent, insofar as suspicion and rivalry are easy to nurture in the area, but maybe you are right. Most of the rest of your points seem pretty sound to me, and therefore I guess you are right that we could have been better prepared. I still think that the dilemma I first mentioned was the worst problem, and not under our control, but you have given me points to mull over, and I may reconsider....... |
