Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Iraq's worst week -- and Bush's | Salon.com
Iraq's worst week -- and Bush's Salon.com
Juan Cole writes a rather perceptive piece about the difficult tactical, strategic and political position the President is in. Bush's declining popularity along with rising disappointment in how Bush is handling Iraq limits his ability to convince the American people to stick it out in Iraq in the long run. In fact, 72-percent of American troops polled believe that we should get out of Iraq in a year or less. 29 percent believe that we should leave immediately.
The recent rise in sectarian violence, makes it unlikely that Iraq would be sufficiently peaceful for us to leave quickly. Also the broader strategic implications of an Iraq meltdown are only now beginning to be understood.
Thus, we don't have the support to stay for long. The rising violence makes it impossible for us to leave quickly. Leaving quickly may lead to a civil war. A civil war may cause destabilize the whole region.
What is increasingly being understood even among supporters of the President that the decision to invade Iraq has become an unmitigated disaster. It would be wonderful if Bush could reprise Harry Houdini and get himself (and us) out of the mess, unfortunately for us all, it doesn't seem likely.
Juan Cole writes a rather perceptive piece about the difficult tactical, strategic and political position the President is in. Bush's declining popularity along with rising disappointment in how Bush is handling Iraq limits his ability to convince the American people to stick it out in Iraq in the long run. In fact, 72-percent of American troops polled believe that we should get out of Iraq in a year or less. 29 percent believe that we should leave immediately.
The recent rise in sectarian violence, makes it unlikely that Iraq would be sufficiently peaceful for us to leave quickly. Also the broader strategic implications of an Iraq meltdown are only now beginning to be understood.
Thus, we don't have the support to stay for long. The rising violence makes it impossible for us to leave quickly. Leaving quickly may lead to a civil war. A civil war may cause destabilize the whole region.
What is increasingly being understood even among supporters of the President that the decision to invade Iraq has become an unmitigated disaster. It would be wonderful if Bush could reprise Harry Houdini and get himself (and us) out of the mess, unfortunately for us all, it doesn't seem likely.
# posted by Strange Anomaly : 10:41 AM
