Between Iraq and a Hard Place

WHAT NOW?

We have come to the stage in the Iraq situation that took many more years in Vietnam; namely where most people in this country believe invading the country was a mistake and that we should end the occupation. As one who strongly opposed the invasion during the Bush administration’s misinformation campaign to garner public support, I welcome the change. However, it begs the question: How do we dis-entangle ourselves from the mess we created?

We have de-stabilized a county in a very volatile region with civil war being a very likely outcome. The tensions and strife were there, but the repressive regime of Saddam kept the lid on. This is not to condone the methods used to control the population, but simply to say they were effective. Once we relieved the pressure, we became responsible for the outcome. Do we just say to the Iraqi people “Oops! Sorry!” and leave them with the mess? That hardly seems right to me. In the immortal words of Pottery Barn, “You break it, you bought it”.

On the other hand, our continued presence invites even more violence and strife. Iraq has become the focal point for the militant Muslim movement, thanks to our involvement. The longer we are there the worse it will get. The real irony of the situation is that Iraq was relatively free of Muslim extremists and “terrorists” until we took down the Iraqi armed forces, which were very effective in keeping those factions out. We invaded under the pretense that Iraq was a haven for these extremists and it became a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Most of the blame for this mess goes to the Bush gang of course, but let’s not forget all the spineless Democrats who voted to approve the invasion. A very large housecleaning is in order and we should remember this the next time these weasels are up for re-election. Campaign reform is also a necessity if we want to take our country back.

In a just world, Bush, Rummy, Chaney, Rice and company would have to pony up along with their oil buddies at Halliburton to pay for the mess they have made in Iraq. They should all be brought up on criminal charges and put in prison with all the “detainees” at Guantanamo.