Bush seeks support for his policy on Iraq
Iraq-USA, Editorial, 6/28/2005

Bush today intends to address the nation on Iraq. This comes amid the reality that the military situation in Iraq is not going according to US military plans, and domestic support for the Bush policy in Iraq has weakened greatly.

The US is faced with the possibility of defeat, and the goal post for what constitutes success is being pulled back. Top US Senators who are well informed about these issues, such as Senator Joseph Biden who sits at the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, spoke realistically about this realty. The situation in Iraq seems so critical that it can tip either way, one way into chaos and civil war, and the other is into success. But this success can only happen as a result of a political process, as the US administration and the military are increasingly acknowledging. This means that the Sunnis should be brought along in the process. And the US would like to also bring along the rest of the world to help.

But should Bush get help in this regard?

The US president George W. Bush and his administration, prior to invading Iraq, misled the US public and international community on Iraq. While this process was being undertaken, all the talk was focused on weapons of mass destruction, and terrorism in Iraq, charges that were false. But at that time, there was no talk about bringing democracy to Iraq. It is important to keep the timeline of events very clear on this issue because a second lie has entered the politics of this issue. The lie is that the US went to Iraq to bring democracy. It did not, and if the US were to succeed in Iraq, then we will certainly hear a never ending shout about how right the Bush administration policy been all along! Why is this important? Because the implications are very important to US policy and the international community. Under such a scenario of US success, those who advocate that the US is above international law, as Bush indicated in brushing off the UN prior to the war, and those who advocate that the US government is justified in deceiving the public so long as the results are a success, and those who believe in "preemptive action" doctrine of the Bush administration of "shoot first and ask questions later," will seem to be vindicated, and possibly gain more strength politically for policies that are abhorred. That can be a moral dilemma for someone who opposed the war, or was misled into supporting it, and now wants to help the Iraqis at this stage of the mess the US government has brought us to.

If the Bush administration is genuine in its desire to gain the political support of those who share the concerns outlined, then the Bush administration needs to come forward to acknowledge that 1. the US has made a serious mistake by invading Iraq, and 2. Bush should ask forgiveness from those harmed from this error. This would indicate a realization of the moral pain his policies has caused billions of people around the world, and millions of US citizens who have been forcibly kidnaped under "support our boys" patriotism into having to support a policy that has caused the death of tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of Iraqis and their livelihood, and many Americans in the process. If Bush can rise above politics to acknowledge his error, then he should be supported. Otherwise, President Bush is not capable of being honest on this subject and is seriously abusing my goodwill as a citizen.

Previous Stories:
  The US should not be supported at the UN   (9/6/2003)
  The USA decieved the world on Iraq   (5/12/2003)
  The USA V.S. ArabicNews.com   (3/17/2003)

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