"It makes no sense to tell the enemy when you plan to start withdrawing. All the
terrorists would have to do is mark their calendars. ... Setting a deadline for
withdrawal is setting a date for failure, and that would be irresponsible," Bush
said in a televised address after the veto.
This has been Bush's logic for a while. Don't tell the enemy that you're going to leave on 'X' date because they'll just wait until we're gone and then do whatever they have planned. Here's my problem with that statement:
By virtue of this logic, we would never be able to leave Iraq for fear that the 'enemy' would finally enact their plans as soon as we were gone. This suggests that Bush wants to keep Troops in Iraq indefinately - which seems to be against the wishes of a rising majority of Americans. Even my grandfather - the WWII Navy Vet - told me that they should "bring the boys home", and he's as patriotic as I've ever heard from anyone.
The entire Iraq situation is just spiraling into a black void of ignorance. No one seems to know why (exactly) we went. No one seems to know how we're going to pull ourselves out. I'm sure that the generals who got us into Iraq had a plan for getting us out - but I wonder how their plans have been changed or simply ignored by the President or those business interests who support his actions in Iraq.
I would make the argument that as soon as US troops are no longer a factor in Iraq, the problems between the Shia and the Suni will boil over again. They have always had conflict. One of the main reasons that Iraq's leader, Sadam, was such a problem for his people was that he was, essentially, a tribal leader waging political war against another tribe within his country. Most of the violence that we're seeing now in Iraq doesn't seem (though I could be mistaken) to be focused at US troops, but rather at other Iraqi's. Granted, there are a number of incidents where US troops are targeted, but most of the news that I've been able to pull together from CNN, MSNBC, FOX and BBC seem to point that the car bombs and suicide bombers are attacking open markets and public gatherings; not military outposts.
So, when the President says that he will veto any bill with a timetable for withdrawl - it makes me wonder exactly how long he plans to keep troops there. Well, he's only got 628 days left in office so I assume it will be less than that.
Anyone pushing for the next election will win a huge sway of votes if they promise to pull those troops back - and that's the most confusing thing. Bush says that he'll veto any bill with a time table, but there already -IS- one; his presidency.
Now don't get me wrong; I am in full support of the troops over there. I have lost one very good friend to an IED in Iraq, I have another friend who's going to be graduating and probably going over there next summer, and a new friend who's already been there once. I've sent baby wipes and socks to guys I don't even know because they're doing a job that I don't want to do.
I think that Bush is just deluding himself that he has any degree of control over the situation in Iraq either abroad or at home. He uses the veto power as a finger-in-the-dike stop-gap. He's only buying himself time.
When, in the fullness of time, President Bush is remembered as a leader in this country - I do not think that he will be remembered fondly.
-T
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