Bush Defends Open Ended Commitment in Iraq

When one is in a hole, the old saw goes, the first thing to do is stop digging. Apparently, George “LBJ” Bush hasn’t figured out that bit of wisdom yet. The Iraqi Civil War is growing ever bloodier, and Mr. Bush still believes victory is merely a matter of persistence. In fact, it may be a matter of wishful thinking. At very least, victory needs a definition.

In a press conference on Monday, Mr. Bush said of Iraq, “We’re not leaving so long as I’m the president. That would be a huge mistake.” He said, “I repeat what . . . our leading general said in the region. He said: ‘If we withdraw before the job is done, the enemy will follow us here.’ I strongly agree with that.” What, though, is “the job?”

A stable, secure, unified, democratic Iraq with a free market economy isn’t going to happen. Not only does such a civil order deny the social realities of multi-cultural Iraq, but also it ignores 5,000 years of local history. Mr. Bush and the neo-cons aren’t particularly good at things like other cultures or any history that predates their own adolescence, so this isn’t much of a surprise. Still, it doesn’t mean Baghdad can be turned into Houston on the Tigris merely because they want it to do so.

Mr. Bush has said that the Americans could stand down while the Iraqis stand up. With Iraqi civilians dying at the same rate as US and Traitor soldiers during the American Civil War (3,600 or so a month), it is clear that the Green Zone government doesn’t even control Baghdad. The Iraqis have a government they elected under a constitution they drafted and ratified, and it is obvious that that government is not providing security of person – the first duty of every government to its citizens.

Mr. Bush said, “A failed Iraq in the heart of the Middle East will provide safe haven for terrorists and extremists. It will embolden those who are trying to thwart the ambitions of reformers. In this case, it would give the terrorists and extremists an additional tool besides safe haven, and that is revenues from oil sales.” He still seems to think that a few bad guys are trying to stop the local George Washington and Thomas Jefferson from bestowing the blessings of freedom on an oppressed people.

In fact, the violence stems from the militias that the Sunni and Shi’ite communities have established to protect themselves since the government is unable to do so. Since March 2003, Iraq has not been a country, but rather a geographic expression. And the US will be actively involved until January 20, 2009 according to Mr. Bush. This journal knows it will be much longer than that – and that will be a huge mistake.

© Copyright 2006 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Fedora Linux.

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