Iraq - Greatest Strategic Disaster In US History
Its time to withdraw our troops from a war that should never have been waged. There never was any real justification for sending our young men and women to die in Iraq, and there is even less justification to keep them there now.
On October 5, 2005, the former head of the National Security Agency, Retired Lt General William Odom, was quoted by the Associated Press as saying: "The invasion of Iraq, I believe, will turn out to be the greatest strategic disaster in U.S. history."
I totally agree with the General.
The lies, deception, and dirty tricks by officials at the highest level of our government, coupled with the torture scandals, and blatant war profiteering by the Bush family and administration officials, have damaged the nation's reputation to a point from which it will never recover.
The portrayal of our intelligence agencies as corrupt and incompetent, has left our nation in a state of world-wide disgrace. Bush has stirred up more anger and contempt towards Americans than any President in history.
The administration took our country to war against a nation that did not pose even a minimal threat to our security. Close to 2500 US soldiers, along with an estimated 100,000 Iraqi civilians are now dead.
There are those who still insist that we are duty-bound to fix Iraq now that we have broken it. I used to be among them. No more.
We are stuck in a quagmire with no good options. However, the worst option by far, would be to continue on with more of the same, and watch the body count grow. It is clear that Rumsfeld's ill-fated military planning is not working yet Bush refuses to change the course.
Iraq has become a haven for terrorists that it was not before Bush made the choice to invade the country. Nearly a year ago, on CNN, Cheney was asked about the progress in Iraq, and he responded without blinking an eye: "I think they're in the last throes, if you will, of the insurgency."
He was dead wrong.
Forty-some years ago, in reference to the war in Viet Nam, then Congressman Rumsfeld stated: "The people of the United States must know not only how their country became involved, but where we are heading."
The people in the US today deserve to know the truth about how we became involved in Iraq and where we are heading. But even more important, our troops deserve a plan from their Commander-in-Chief.
The Vice President has labeled criticism of the administration's war in Iraq as "dishonest and reprehensible." A statement that came on the heel of similar comment from Bush.
"What bothers me is when people are irresponsibly using their positions and playing politics," he said. "That's exactly what is taking place in America," he added.
Questioning policies that are costing the nation thousands of lives and hundreds of billions of dollars is not playing politics. The fact is, after 3 years, we are engaged in a mission with no definition and no benchmarks for measuring success.
Its time to withdraw our troops from a war that should never have been waged. There never was any real justification for sending our young men and women to die in Iraq, and there is even less justification to keep them there now.
On October 5, 2005, the former head of the National Security Agency, Retired Lt General William Odom, was quoted by the Associated Press as saying: "The invasion of Iraq, I believe, will turn out to be the greatest strategic disaster in U.S. history."
I totally agree with the General.
The portrayal of our intelligence agencies as corrupt and incompetent, has left our nation in a state of world-wide disgrace. Bush has stirred up more anger and contempt towards Americans than any President in history.
The administration took our country to war against a nation that did not pose even a minimal threat to our security. Close to 2500 US soldiers, along with an estimated 100,000 Iraqi civilians are now dead.
There are those who still insist that we are duty-bound to fix Iraq now that we have broken it. I used to be among them. No more.
We are stuck in a quagmire with no good options. However, the worst option by far, would be to continue on with more of the same, and watch the body count grow. It is clear that Rumsfeld's ill-fated military planning is not working yet Bush refuses to change the course.
Iraq has become a haven for terrorists that it was not before Bush made the choice to invade the country. Nearly a year ago, on CNN, Cheney was asked about the progress in Iraq, and he responded without blinking an eye: "I think they're in the last throes, if you will, of the insurgency."
He was dead wrong.
Forty-some years ago, in reference to the war in Viet Nam, then Congressman Rumsfeld stated: "The people of the United States must know not only how their country became involved, but where we are heading."
The people in the US today deserve to know the truth about how we became involved in Iraq and where we are heading. But even more important, our troops deserve a plan from their Commander-in-Chief.
The Vice President has labeled criticism of the administration's war in Iraq as "dishonest and reprehensible." A statement that came on the heel of similar comment from Bush.
"What bothers me is when people are irresponsibly using their positions and playing politics," he said. "That's exactly what is taking place in America," he added.
Questioning policies that are costing the nation thousands of lives and hundreds of billions of dollars is not playing politics. The fact is, after 3 years, we are engaged in a mission with no definition and no benchmarks for measuring success.
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