George W. Bush's ill-fated decision to frighten this nation into an illegal, immoral, ill-conceived war against Iraq, a country that posed no real threat to us, will haunt him throughout history. Now most Americans believe the U.S. should never have undertaken this calamitous military misadventure and support bringing our troops home.

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George W. Bush’s ill-fated decision to frighten this nation into an illegal, immoral, ill-conceived war against Iraq, a country that posed no real threat to us, will haunt him throughout history. Now most Americans believe the U.S. should never have undertaken this calamitous military misadventure and support bringing our troops home.

Let’s look at the current reality in Iraq. Thus far in April, an average of 25 American soldiers have died each week, a rate that could bring the total to more than 4,000 by year’s end. The unrelenting violence currently claims approximately 50 Iraqi lives daily, with total civilian deaths estimated at more than 60,000. Our allies in this conflict are drawing down their forces. The various factions in the Iraqi government continue to squabble rather than deal with pressing issues.

Aware that the American public no longer believes his original pretexts for war (WMDs, al-Qaida/Saddam connection, etc.), Bush and his apologists have fabricated an inventory of dubious justifications for “staying the course.”

We must give the “surge” an opportunity to work. One definition of insanity: Continuing to do the same thing over and over, each time expecting a different result.

A bloodbath will ensue if we leave. If the warring factions in Iraq are intent on more sectarian violence and ethnic cleansing, keeping our troops there only forestalls the inevitable.

Leaving will embolden the radical Islamists. Actually, they want us in Iraq. It’s great for al Qaeda recruiting efforts, and it accomplishes another of their goals—the slow bleed of American lives and money.

If we leave, they’ll follow us home. Does anyone remember any Viet Cong tagging along when we left Vietnam?

We must stay to stop the advance of radical Islam. Ah, yes, the old domino theory. Didn’t hold up with the commies, nor does it in this case.

American interests must be protected. If you’re talking about trading the lives of our youth for the continued flow of cheap oil, I say no dice. Anyway it’s high time we weaned ourselves from this greasy addiction.

Let’s express our gratitude to the men and women of our military who have served admirably. Let’s tell the Iraqis they now control of their own destiny. Then let’s declare victory and come home. We, the people, voted for this course of action in the 2006 elections, and it’s time the politicians in Washington carried out our will.

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Note: This commentary was published in the Asheville Citizen-Times on April 27, 2007.

Authors Website: http://brucemulkey.com

Authors Bio:
In an earlier incarnation, Bruce Mulkey was an arrogant pickup-truck-driving, beer-swilling, self-centered cynic who built log houses for a living. Having miraculously survived that era, he now is a politically progressive, spiritually aware, bike-riding, cat-loving organizer/writer living contentedly with his wife, Shonnie Lavender, in the southern Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina.

Bruce's viewpoints, essays and articles have appeared in the Asheville Citizen-Times, where he served as an editorial columnist from 2000 through 2004, YES! Magazine, The Christian Science Monitor, the Boston Globe, Western North Carolina Woman, Common Dreams News Center, as well as numerous other print and online publications. Bruce and Shonnie co-authored I Do! I Do! The Marriage Vow Workbook, which was published in July 2006. He has also published two collections of his commentaries–Peaceful Patriots: Taking a stand for peace in an era of endless war and Walking Our Talk: Taking radical responsibility for our lives and our world.

For three months prior to the November 4, 2008 election, Bruce served as a field organizer for Barack Obama's presidential campaign. In this challenging role he enrolled and empowered several hundred volunteers in two rural southern Ohio counties to organize phone banks and door-to-door canvassing in support of Obama's candidacy. These volunteers surpassed every get-out-the-vote goal set by the campaign, and in both counties Obama exceeded the percentage of the vote received by John Kerry in 2004.