What Do I Think About the Iraq War? Part III

Should the US get out of Iraq quickly? Speaking for myself, I'll support that option until I'm convinced of a better alternative. "Staying the course" isn't it. The current surge is based on wishful thinking: this isn't the kind of military problem that can be solved by temporarily intensifying your efforts. And the policy of many Democrats to vaguely split the difference between staying and going does not impress me. That's just self-protection.

Sure, people say that Washington's departure will be followed by a bloodbath in Iraq. But is the US campaign preventing this outcome, or just delaying it and adding to the harm? My feeling is that the US departure will offer Iraq its only chance--albeit a slim one--of escaping it. And the longer the departure is delayed, the more certain disaster becomes.

Some leftists were unhappy with Congress' plan to basically give Bush Jr. what he wanted, accompanied by a departure timetable he shouldn't have much trouble evading. But I look at it as just an opening move. It was pretty clear all along that Bush was going to veto it anyway. My biggest worry was the remote possibility that the President would change his mind and sign the bill. But he wasn't smart enough.

So what should they do now? It's clear that Bush thinks if he just sticks to his guns and makes no concessions, Congress will have to cave in the end to avoid the accusation of undermining the troops. And his assumption is understandable: the Democratic leaders are giving the impression that they'll accept even tiny concessions and declare victory. But there comes a point when you can't fudge the difference. Congress has made as great an effort to work with Bush as anyone could ask for, and sooner or later they'll have to say "No."

I think Congress should vote to deauthorize the war. If the well-being of the soldiers were really the important thing, they should be brought home right away. The longer Washington delays, the longer the GIs will be stuck in limbo, and the greater the chance that the war will spread into Iran (like the Vietnam War spread into Cambodia, costing millions more lives). This is the time for leadership, not self-protection.

And while they're at it, they should impeach both Bush and Cheney. They must not repeat their mistake of 20 years ago when they spared Reagan impeachment. Iran-Contra ultimately did far greater harm to the United States than Watergate did, because it showed what an unethical president could get away with. (The Republican Party's obtuse celebration of Reagan is strong evidence of its moral bankruptcy.) In fact, the legacy can be seen in the current administration's crimes. If Bush gets spared impeachment, fascism may be next.