Iraq: Damned if We stay

To stay, or to withdraw.

That's the question.

Mr Bush, no Hamlet, has already made up his mind on this one. He’s for sticking around. He’s for having free elections in January of 2005. He’s for staying the course.

Unfortunately his course in Iraq has led to the deaths of over a thousand US troops and several thousands more of Iraqi citizens. All for the will-o'-the-wisp known as  WMD

And he hasn’t yet explained  how any  elections can be held in Iraq in the absence of  basic security. Over 300 Iraqis died last week due to outright murders, kidnappings and  suicide car bombs.

It’s a civil war, but you never hear either the president or his neocon advisors use those words.  They prefer term "insurgency."

They tell us not to worry. The situation in Iraq, while it may seem a little mixed up now, is actually on the road to resolving itself. Just you wait, they say, in just a few short months, elections will be held, and the murder, chaos and other unpleasantness  will  cease as if by magic. 

Mr Bush and his panglossian advisors need a reality check.

As anyone  who watches television, reads newspapers, or files a blog knows, things are more than just a little mixed up in Iraq. The situation there is nothing less than  national chaos. The Iraqis are engaging in an all-out civil war (insurgency if you will) against other Iraqis over the future of the country. The issue is pretty clear.

It’s power.

That is to say,  what group of religious fanatics will exercise  power in Iraq. In other words, will power be exercised by the Sunnis or the Shi`ites?

Nobody knows.

One thing is pretty certain, the armed militias of each side will decide the issue, not an American-supported puppet government, as is now the case.

Apparently the neocons are unaware that while not killing each other, the "insurgents" are busy killing American soldiers and civilians. Not to mention contract workers from other nations.

And yes, another American has been killed, beheaded on camera.  The whole spectacle put out for the benefit of anyone else who might think of going to Iraq to help the interim government.

That’s the current environment in Iraq.

So just how, exactly  can the US appointed interim government , which is powerless now, become powerful enough to manage Iraq elections, in January of 2005? Or at any other time, for that matter.

Elections?  What Iraqi in his right mind,  will risk being killed by a car bomb or a drive-by shooter while standing in line to vote?

As it stands now, there’s no end to the massacres and kidnappings.There’s no light at the end of this dark tunnel. 

Except of course, for the US to withdraw from Iraq.  As it had to do in Vietnam over thirty years ago. 

But of course,  the administration and its neocon advisors refuse to consider the possibility of a withdrawal.  Not only that, they give no indication as to how long the US might have to stay in Iraq to sort things out.  If that's possible.  Not only do they refuse to consider a withdrawal, Vice-President Cheney ridicules Sen. Kerry for demanding an exit strategy from Iraq.

If Mr Bush wins the election, we can look forward to another four years of the same failed Iraq policy and another few thousand or more of American casualties. 

Mr Bush has got to go.  The cost is to high and the gains are illusory. 

Punditwalla--