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America Held Hostage: Say no to Bush’s open ended commitment- Demand a timetable for getting out

by Open-Publishing - Sunday 3 July 2005
12 comments

Wars and conflicts International Governments USA

A majority of Americans now realize that President Bush deliberately misled the nation to promote a war in Iraq. But Mr. Bush’s speech on Tuesday contained a chilling message: America has been taken hostage by his martial dreams. According to Mr. Bush, the nation now has no choice except to keep fighting the war he wanted to fight.

Never mind that Iraq posed no threat before we invaded. Now it’s a "central front in the war on terror," Mr. Bush says, quoting Osama bin Laden as an authority. And since a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq would, Mr. Bush claims, be a victory for Al Qaeda, Americans have to support this war - and that means supporting him. After all, you wage war with the president you have, not the president you want.

But America doesn’t have to let itself be taken hostage. The country missed the chance to say no before this war started, but it can still say no to Mr. Bush’s open-ended commitment, and demand a timetable for getting out.

I know that this argument will be hard to sell. Despite everything that has happened, many Americans still want to believe that this war can and should be seen through to victory. But it’s time to face up to three realities. First, the war is helping, not hurting, the terrorists. Second, the kind of clear victory the hawks promised is no longer possible, if it ever was. Third, a time limit on our commitment will do more good than harm.

Before the war, opponents warned that it would strengthen, not weaken, terrorism. And so it has: a recent C.I.A. report warns that since the U.S. invasion, Iraq has become what Afghanistan was under the Soviet occupation, only more so: a magnet and training ground for Islamic extremists, who will eventually threaten other countries.

And the situation in Iraq isn’t improving. "The White House is completely disconnected from reality," said Senator Chuck Hagel, referring to upbeat assessments of progress. "It’s like they’re just making it up as they go along. The reality is that we’re losing in Iraq."

Mr. Hagel claims to believe that we can still win, but it’s hard to see how.

More troops might help, but pretty much the whole U.S. Army is already in Iraq, on its way back from Iraq or getting ready to go to Iraq. And the coalition of the willing is shrinking.

Helping Iraqis rebuild their country could help win hearts and minds. But for all the talk of newly painted schools, the fact is that reconstruction, originally stalled by incompetence and corruption, is now stalled by the lack of security. When Ibrahim al-Jafaari, the Iraqi prime minister, visited Washington, he was accompanied by Iraqi journalists. One of them asked Mr. Bush, "When will you begin the reconstruction in Iraq?"

Meanwhile, time is running out for America’s volunteer military, which is cracking under the strain of a war it was never designed to fight.

So what would happen if the United States gave up its open-ended commitment to Iraq and set a timetable for withdrawal?

Mr. Bush claims that such a step would "send the wrong signal to our troops, who need to know that we are serious about completing the mission." But what the troops need to know is that their country won’t demand more than they can give. He also claims that it would encourage the insurgents, who will "know that all they have to do is to wait us out." But the insurgents don’t seem to need encouragement.

It’s far more likely that if the Iraqi government knew that our support had an expiration date, it would both look to its own defenses and, more important, try harder to find a political solution to the insurgency.

The Iraq that emerges once U.S. forces are gone won’t bear much resemblance to the free-market, pro-American, Israel-friendly democracy the neocons promised. But it will pose less of a terrorist threat than the Iraq we have now.

Remember, Iraq wasn’t a breeding ground for terrorists before we went there. All indications are that the foreign terrorists now infesting Iraq are there on the sufferance of a homegrown insurgency that finds them useful for the moment but that, brutal as it is, isn’t interested in an apocalyptic confrontation with the Western world. Once we’re no longer targets, the foreign terrorists won’t be welcome.

The point is that the presence of American forces in Iraq is making our country less safe. So it’s time to start winding down the war.

E-mail: krugman@nytimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/01/opinion/01krugman.html?hp

Forum posts

  • i am so very glad that you are a "can’t do" commentator and not a "can’t do" public servant. thank heavens you were not in charge of world war two, and it really is too bad that vietnam was so negatively impacted by the likes of your similarly minded brethren.

    your lack of abilty to state anything even remotely constructive about george bush over the last few years has shed much negative light on the purpose of your mission.

    isn’t it comforting to know that even after all of that gossip induced judgement on your part he is still willing to wake up and bust his keester to protect your lifestyle (and mine) every single day? really PK, can’t you give the guy some credit?

    Truely,
    A Thankful American.

    • http://www.detnews.com/2005/metro/0507/04/A02-236205.htm

    • What a crock

    • downingstreetflagwhand021vy.gif

      Be a true Patriot!! Spread the truth this July 4th.

    • And just what has G. Warmonger Bush done that is positive that you or anyone else could name???

    • All war eminate from the wealthy and the banks. Its a capital expansion and reinvestment policy. Look at the buy sell cycle and the debtor and the profiteer in this war. Look at that equation. They shut your MOUTH. GW did nothing but take from the poor IRAQis and is NOT GIVING it to US the taxpayer funding this adventure in mindless death, torture, lies, propaganda, and corporation adventurism supporting by the PSYCHOS in PSY OPS all on their meds, telling us in their ALTERED state of mind we should support thier mindless self inflicted mental illness. I THINK NOT as they do — Therefore I AM a part of actual living loving humanity.

      If you choose lies as your method of mind control then when that runs into problems, you must choose voilence as your enforcer.

      peace out 7b

      WAKE UP. Use your own brain with logic and FACTS not with their MIND BOBBLE buLLshIT.

      And GravefillingWarboy never did a day of work except with his lie propagating mouth in HIS LIFE. He is a professional LIAR.
      The American Worker Creates progress and so do the other corporation enslaved mass of workers, no elitist led army EVER
      SUPPORTED LIFE. They are life takers- death dealers pimped out by their corporation masters and their SLAVE CHECK banking money distribution network of mindless dumb economic leading world bankers. A bunch of leaders following the belief systems of their ERRONEOUS propaganda infected mental illness propagating balance sheets. They forgot to factor in REALITY. Accounting is really not the counting of credits and values, it is a system to rate shape behaviors into a perfunctory relatity where you dispense lies for the sake of your self delusions helping people MAKE the SAME mistakes OVER and OVER, bringing the GREEDY sick minded PROFITS OVER and OVER. You don’t have to deal with reality BUT if you don’t YOUR OWN IGnorance with OVERCOME and PERHAPS KILL YOU. Look at the situation today in the world. What is the CAUSE of THAT? IGNORANCE on DRUGs.

    • "i am so very glad that you are a "can’t do" commentator and not a "can’t do" public servant. thank heavens you were not in charge of world war two, and it really is too bad that vietnam was so negatively impacted by the likes of your similarly minded brethren."

      PK adds his name to his editorials. You do not care to tell us who you are. So, you must also be a "can’t do." Vietnam was the "Wrong war, in the wrong place at the wrong time." Over 50,000 Americans died in Vietnam at the behest of American presidents who received bad advise. They also lied to the American people. It seems to be a habit of American presidents to lie us into war. McKinley lied and got us into the Spanish American war. Wilson lied about the Lusitania, which led us into WWI. Franklin D. Roosevelt did not lie about getting us into WWII; he actually engineered the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. LBJ lied about the Gulf of Tonkin. Nixon lied about Cambodia and Laos. Note that the needs and desires of the Vietnamese people hardly entered into consideration. Actually the majority of both North and South Vietnam preferred Communism to the corrupt and deadly South Vietnam U. S. puppet leaders.

      And, Bush lied to the U.S Congress to get us into an illegal war with Iraq. A war, I might add, his family profited from by and through the Carlyle Group. It is a felony to lie to the U.S. Congress.

      "your lack of ability to state anything even remotely constructive about george bush over the last few years has shed much negative light on the purpose of your mission."

      You know, "A Thankful American," there is nothing "remotely constructive" about George Bush. He has taken us to the deepest deficit the U.S. ever had. He has turned over the government of "we the people" to those who have it all and will pay to keep him in office. The Pentagon has "misplace" over one trillion dollars. Just don’t know where it went. He has no compassion for children who are not his. The Bush Administration is cutting services and medical aids to vets who have served in Iraq and are currently serving in Iraq. By the way, PK’s "mission" is clear. Show the harm Bush has done to the United States. A true "Thankful American" should applaud PK.

      "isn’t it comforting to know that even after all of that gossip induced judgment on your part he is still willing to wake up and bust his keester to protect your lifestyle (and mine) every single day?"

      Like Bush, you toss innuendo about "gossip" but you don’t certify what you are talking about. Just tell the lie enough and people will believe it. PK tells the truth. Bush is not protecting PK lifestyle. In fact, his policy is detrimental to the lifestyles of Americans.

      "really PK, can’t you give the guy some credit?"

      No credit when no credit is due. If you want to offer credit, do so. I will be looking for your reasons.

      Dennis Eros

      PS Mr. Klugman’s grammer is a little better than yours.

  • Your opinion and prediction is probably much more accurate than most of us want to believe. I remember when I discussed with friends and family wheather we should go into Iraq, I stated a quote regularly made by a psychologist at a psychiatric hospital I worked at for 13 years as a dietitian: "If nine people tell you you’re drunk, you’re probably drunk." How consistantly true the psychologist’s statement is in relation to how other nations saw our lack of depth. I know they tried to kill his daddy, they do have a large % of the world’s oil and unfortunately there’s a lot of money to be made.

    If I knew individuals could not gain fortune during wartime I would be Much, Much less skeptical of Bush and Those that tell him how to think! Unfortunately the middle and lower class of America have been brought in to think like those calling the shots and have the most to gain. I can’t believe how so many Americans in financial Hurt, vote against their own self-interests, accept the name calling, and the debt they’ve incurred.

    Bush, does he really behave like a follower of Christ? The first red flag I noticed when He and They took over, was an UnChristlike movement of wealth toward those who are hurting the least. Why is it not shouted day after day America has borrowed billions From China, From China, From China?!

    I’ve never written anything like this before. My wife just came in and reminded me why I’m writiing. Last week we disconnected our cable TV, but not the internet which I Very rarely visit.

    Keep writing, because I believe "The Right" is CONSPIRING, and is now trying to stop all opposition to them. I live in Southwest Missouri and hear nothing on the radio except, Hannity, Savage, Limbaugh, the Irish Guy and others---TOTALALLY UNAPPOSED!!! IS THIS NOT A BRAINWASHING?? Ditto’s! I understand they now have one of their own in a pivotal position at NPR. Who other than Chris Matthews and Keith Oberman sp. hosts a "middle of the road" program on cable TV? I remember when MS NBC announced they were wanting to resemble more of FOX’s format. They have been pretty successful. Cable News is now too unbalanced for me to pay for.

    Thank You!

  • Amen,bro! You have been reading my mail!

  • Let’s see what happens in 2006 when global demand for oil exceeds supply.
    http://www.prosefights.org/oil/oil.htm

    regards
    http://www.prosefights.org/baltimoresun/shanebowman.htm

  • Hi Paul-

    I thought your commentary was right on.
    I’m going to assume that every one of the rabid pro-war/pro-Bush responders is either currently in the military (if they are of proper age) or that they have taken their kids and grandkids to the nearest recruiter. If you think this war is so great and you’re not fighting it yourself, you’re the worst kind of hypocrite- you want others to die so you won’t have to.

    Before you flame- I’m a 51 yo Army vet.

    Jim
    Chehalis, WA
    www.thefairandbalancednews.com

  • dear like minded brethren,

    it’s really great to know that all of you are so dismayed by violence. however, it is a mistake (as some of you war vets likely understand) to go with the old "head in the sand" plan. or, perhaps you were thinking about asking them nicely and maybe they would stop. then again we could just ignore them. maybe they will just sort of... go away.

    we are talking about people who fly planes into buildings and strap explosives to the bodies of their young and send them on suicide missions to the mass-transit systems of people who are on their way about their daily affairs. really offensive affairs like going to work or maybe a rock concert. they might even get some elderly couple on the way to the doctor or a government benefits appointment. "two for one on that pregnant lady in the back of the bus?"

    does the phrase "beheaded with a pocket knife" get those brain cells moving? now that is a fair way to treat the enemy. we put bags over their heads. they just cut ours off ."ours" meaning everyone who doesn’t want to be a suicide bomber or rave about the greatness of "Osama bin Hidin’". complete oblivian!

    you can lay all of this at the feet of george bush if it makes you feel better. it has no bearing on reality. you are quoting a bunch of factually uninformed and speculatively challenged sensationalists who could really care less about how much harm it causes the rest of the world to rant and rave about what isn’t perfect enough. they "come up with" the next big scoop and you guys get that quarter out and lay it down because it’s what you want to hear.

    this war has been a long time in the making. there is a frustratingly long and unanswered history of attacks on civilians that goes back for decades and then some. iraq is a great place to get started and a horrible place to quit. if we leave before the iraqi’s are sufficiently prepared to defend themselves the resulting power vacuum would be most unfortunate. all of those who have sacrificed will have done so for nothing.

    stability and some form of democracy must thrive in the middle east. it is extremely important that we facilitate this process. taking out the sadisticly opportunistic "leadership" of iraq and handing it back to its people was long overdue and a sharp stick in the eye of everyone opposed to civil society. it’s no different then what we did in afghanistan really, or even france and germany for that matter. there used to be an unfettered causeway of terror stretching from the mediterranean to indonesia. though not completed, the process of tearing that playhouse down ... AND rebuilding it ... has begun. pakistan, afghanistan, and iraq are all being reconstituted. syria and iran are a little farther down the road. i am trying, but i can’t quite think of a major american conflict in the past that had fewer casualties than the current one.

    i hope no one would stand in the way because of their support for abortions, pot, free lunches and other such domestic issues. those issues are unrelated to the current dilemma which is ultimately the survival of our democracy. to this day my wife is a clinton loving democrat and let me tell you what... it didn’t take much for her to see that kerry was a dope. she couldn’t stand the guy. she voted for gore in ’00 and she voted for bush in ’04. truthfulness and ability to lead in a time of war were her majo reasons. her sister (that would be my sister-in-law for those of you without a calculator handy) is a lesbian who disagrees with quite a bit of the bush agenda (as anyone might well imagine). it didn’t stop her from voting for him in ’04. she’s far from gulable. she lives on madison ave and was watching as the second tower crashed to the ground. she took it quite personally when the city streets of america were attacked. she was livid. for her the domestic issues went to the back burner. she knew we had to go to war. she knew what was up.

    when clinton went after tyranny (several times as i recall) i was completely in favor of that as well. for me it was something i could completely agree with him about. though i think he gave up too quickly on the "black hawk down" thing. liberals and conservatives should be standing shoulder to shoulder in the fight against these bastards. if you think the gop is against civil rights you ain’t seen nothing yet baby. try complaining to somebody who’s about to sever your head with a butcher’s knife about liberty.

    (a special message for Dennis Eros)
    sorry my grammar doesn’t meet your most high approval there Dennis my man. what can i say… except… who gives a "ff". also, krugman makes a living doing this stuff so of course his name is published. i can’t understand why it would be so important for you to know my IRL name. after all, this is just a little fling. you like putting your personal info on the web so live it up. but in this day and age i think i’ll pass. BTW... i couldn’t help but notice the tough time you had "certifying" YOUR "innuendo". dude, we’re all gossiping like old ladies at a church bizzar so take that lame lecture and place it where the sun only shines at night.

    support democracy. aim that big gun of yours at the terrorists. ALL OF YOU!