Bush is Blind to a No-Win Iraq War

August 6, 2005

Bush illegally started a unilateral war against Iraq in 2003 with the support of the Republican controlled Congress which readily supported it and cheered. They beat the drum for war thinking kicking Saddam’s butt would be easy and a good thing. Certainly Saddam had a butt kicking coming. He was and is a bad person and he and his henchmen killed thousands. He also stole the resources of his country for his personal gain. Kicking his butt was a good thing but starting a war based on lies about WMDs and terrorist links was wrong and the war hasn't been easy like they expected.

Worse yet, Bush went to war without a plan to win or to occupy a country generally hostile to westerners, especially Americans. This was not a problem for Bush because he wasn’t going to fight in the war, just start it.

He kept the war drums beating so Republicans could retain control in 2004  He was successful but we are now in a war quagmire that has killed over 1,800 soldiers and maimed thousands of others. Shame on Bush and his war supporters. When does making sure your political buddies are re-elected take precedent over national security?  This is not Bush's concern. He wasn’t thinking about national security when he started the Iraq War and he doesn’t care about it now.

Bush keeps saying we must stay until the job is done but has not defined what means. It seems the job is done when the Iraqi military is capable of taking over from the United States, whenever that will be. This is the same rhetoric used during the Vietnam War, where Vietnamization would result in a democracy so the U.S. could withdraw peacefully. It did not work in Vietnam and it will not work in Iraq.

No plan means no-win for anyone and deep down, most American know this. Bush’s popularity has fallen significantly and most Americans do not believe the war is going well because of his policies. Yet, his response is to stay the course, which sounds creepily Nixonian .

Iraqi forces will not be able to match the ferocity of the insurgency and the pressure of civil war. Iraq will quickly disintegrate and in the resulting chaos even more Americans will die. Unfortunately, Iraqis seeking power during the chaos will be more brutal and deadly than Saddam. The civil war will be a fight between several factions, all wanting absolute power and literally fighting for their lives. This is not a good thing.

Unfortunately Bush is blind to this grim scenario and America will pay the price in blood.