Bush Troop Surge Falters in Baghdad
President Bush, ever the starry eyed optimistic fellow, issues comments from the safe confines of the White House that the troop surge in Baghdad is “meeting expectations”.
Oh really?
If so his expectations must have been for even more car bombings and carnage in the embattled city. A report just filed by BBC reporter Andrew North from surge troop protected Baghdad gives a far different assessment of how secure the surge has thus far made Baghdad.
One of his statements is significant and pretty much tells the story. “The Sunni extremists held to be responsible for these attacks seem to be making a mockery of the US and Iraqi security plan, which is now into its third month. So far, their surge seems to be having more effect than the American one.”
Upon arrival in Iraq, when you can’t even leave the Baghdad airport because it is under attack, you can be assured that things aren’t going too well for the surge plan. Perhaps President Bush should put on some presidential body armour and spend a few days and nights outside the Green Zone and than issue a more honest statement.
Since the Green Zone suicide bomber attack at the Iraq parliament building proved that even there security is an issue a presidential party roaming around outside of the zone may not be all that much more dangerous and would provide better intell as to how conditions truly are in Baghdad hot spots.
Poor President Bush and supporting members of his Iraq war planning and implementation gang. A insurgency that they foolishly never expected to happen and , according to none other than delusional Vice President Dick Cheney, was in its “death throes” over two years ago is proving to be remarkably well funded and well organized and lethal.
However, George Bush, with one eye on his doubtful legacy as a successful two term US President, is reduced to making optimistic remarks about “turning the corner” when by all accounts the insurgents have already turned that corner and are gaining strength as they constantly adapt to new US tactics.
One of the saddest signs that US forces in Iraq are totally desperate in their efforts to reduce the violence is the implementation of a unilateral plan to build a wall between Sunni and Shia enclaves in Baghdad. The Iraqis, who are supposed to have their own government and decide for themselves on such matters, have warned the US that building a wall will only make matters worse.
Now the Iraqi prime minister, Nouri Maliki, has asked that construction on this wall be stopped stating that setting up concrete divisions between Iraqi neighborhoods would establish barriers to ever realizing the unification of Iraq.
This incident perfectly illustrates the lack of coordination and friction that exists between US lead forces and the Iraqi government. And this is after over four years of trying to get it right in Iraq.
Unfortunately, desperate men do desperate often foolish things in their efforts to save a hopeless situation of their own making. George W. Bush continues to encourage others to fight a war for him that he started. It is the brave American troops , their families, and above all the Iraq people who are bearing the brunt of the cost of this war in suffering, anguish, and death.
Those who truly care for our US troops should work tirelessly to extract them from the mess that clueless Bush has made. The war in Iraq can not be won by military means. Our generals know this as a fact and have declared that a military victory is not obtainable in Iraq. Pride should not be an issue when it will only result in more deaths.
If that is the case why does the Bush lead American government wish to keep putting additional troops into harms way? What purpose is served by young men and women dying for a lost cause that was flawed from the beginning? Is it that Bush is more interested in his legacy than the welfare of the troops? He doesn’t want to go down in the history books as the man who started and lost the war in Iraq?
Congress and the American people should be asking this miserable failure of a President this very question. Often.
The troop surge is leading to more American deaths in Iraq. And for what purpose? How would you feel if it was your son or daughter who was the last troop killed before America declared victory in Iraq and withdrew saying now it’s all up to the Iraqis? The most probable outcome of the conflict in Iraq is at some point the Iraqis will establish the Islamic Republic of Iraq.
How would that be as an unintended consequence of the invasion and occupation of Iraq? From an American or British viewpoint is that an outcome that is worth your child’s life?
