Friday, September 23, 2005

What Was The Mission, Again?

Bush: No Retreat From Iraq

Two days before a major anti-war demonstration, President Bush said Thursday that withdrawing American forces from Iraq would make the world more dangerous and allow terrorists "to claim an historic victory over the United States."

Mr. Bush said terrorists have been emboldened over the years by the hesitant U.S. response to numerous events: a hostage crisis with Iran in the Carter administration, the bombing of U.S. Marines barracks in Lebanon during the Reagan administration, the first terrorist attack on the World Trade Center during the Clinton administration, and others.

"The terrorists concluded we lacked the courage and character to defend ourselves," the president said." The only way the terrorists can win is if we lose our nerve and abandon the mission.

"For the safety and security of the American people, that's not going to happen on my watch," he said.


I guess none of his aides have the guts to explain to Bush that the terrorists have already won in Iraq: there's much more terrorist activity in Iraq now than when Saddam was in power. And what mission would the U.S. be abandoning? Ridding Iraq of WMDs? There were none to begin with. Removing Saddam from power? Mission accomplished. Completely eliminating the influence of Baathism? Dream on.

It's difficult to see what mission can be completed by remaining in Iraq, unless the mission is simply "remaining in Iraq", which, as the anti-war people feared since the pre-emptive strike drums started beating in the White House, it seems more and more likely to be.

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