"Finish What Job?"

[rusty charly]

At times, the loudest noise at his news conference was the sound of mission creep. In June, Bush conceded that a democratic Iraq will at some point have to stand or fall on its own. ("Success in Iraq," he said, "depends upon the Iraqis.") On Monday, however, Bush said U.S. forces would remain until the Iraqi people "achieve their objectives and their dreams, which is a democratic society." Success may depend on the Iraqis, but it is defined by the Americans.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-bush22aug22,0,5589262.story?track=tothtml

And the justification for continued U.S. involvement isn't just nation building. Success in Iraq, Bush declared, is central not only to the war on terrorism but to the grandiose strategy of fostering democracy in the Middle East and protecting the flow of oil. "A failed Iraq would make America less secure," Bush said. "A failed Iraq in the heart of the Middle East will provide safe haven for terrorists and extremists. It will embolden those who are trying to thwart the ambitions of reformers. In this case, it would give the terrorists and extremists an additional tool besides safe haven, and that is revenues from oil sales."

This debate is not, as the president would like it to be, over whether one supports or opposes "a failed Iraq." Of course no one wants a failed Iraq — just as no one wants a failed Somalia or a failed Haiti.

Yet the U.S. has finite resources, and whatever effect they have in Iraq is blunted by the growing civil war there. The U.S. mission has a patchwork of goals — supporting democrats, providing transitional security and, above all, making it less likely that Iraq becomes an exporter of terror. Some goals are short term, others not; some are complementary, others in conflict; some may suggest a reduction in U.S. military involvement, others an increase.

[peacetalksforall]

1. The job. The job for them is the oil and securing the country before they

they move to the next one. The job for bigots is to contain Muslims and show them. The job for our kids is staying alive and in a whole body with an intact immune system and mentally stable heart and head. The job for us is to have an honest election and take back our military and put a stop on corporate government and join in peace and people efforts.