By Reggie Rivers of the Denver Post
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http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0203-29.htm<snip>
Regarding the war in Iraq, he said, "If we were to leave these vicious attackers alone, they would not leave us alone. They would simply move the battlefield to our own shores." Though it has long been proved that the Sept. 11 terrorists weren't from Iraq, had no connection to Iraq, and are not now in Iraq, President Bush continues to insist that the war is related to Sept. 11.
He said, "There is no peace in retreat. And there is no honor in retreat." Of course, there can be peace and honor in retreat, but since he practices a doctrine of never considering alternatives and never admitting mistakes, denigrating the merits of retreat is like a scorched-Earth policy that forces combatants forward even if it's suicidal to continue.
He said, "We are on the offensive in Iraq, with a clear plan for victory." Because of the challenges related to fighting a shadow army of insurgents, the coalition has been on the defensive for most of the war. The only thing that has been clear from the start is that the Bush administration never has had a well-developed plan.
About the war, President Bush said, "We are winning." More than 2,200 U.S. troops have been killed, more than 16,500 have been injured, and combat operations have cost hundreds of billions of dollars with no end in sight. The statement "We are winning" is pure puffery.
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