Bush Won’t Change Course In Iraq in 2007

December 21, 2006

Before the 2006 mid-term elections Bush was saying we were on the road to victory in Iraq and accused anyone who thought differently of being un-American. His Administration regularly vilified Iraq War critics in the face of American public opinion that the war is lost and we need to leave.

Republicans and Bush lost the Congress to the Democrats.

After the election, Bush said he would look at all the options before determining a new course in Iraq. However, he has dismissed the Iraq Study Group report, appointed a new defense secretary who thinks like he does and continues to say we will stay until victory is achieved and saying the war is winnable.

He also disagrees with the military Joint Chiefs of Staff who do not want more troops because it would escalate a dire situation best solved politically.

Bush is in a quandary because he does not to change direction but needs to seem that he is open to new ideas and a different strategy. He wants more time to "stay on course". Incredibly his war plan is his belief we will win in Iraq. It is not supported by an actual plan our troops can use. He is relying on force in a complex political situation.

This is what Bush will do in 2007:

He will increase troops in Iraq by at least 30 thousand by delaying rotations back home, speeding deployments to Iraq and moving troops from other Iraqi locations. Most will end up in Bagdad.

He will ask for a bigger Army and Marine Corps supposedly to help with the strain of global commitments but move those additional troops to Iraq when he can.

The result will be more death and destruction because of Bush’s arrogance, ignorance and incompetence.

The new Democratic Congress has a big job. It has to confront Bush and his supporters. They better stop the war because that is what Americans want.