By André Green/se news editor
The outcome of the November elections sent a strong message to the current administration regarding the declining support for the war.
As the U.S. casualty rate continues to rise, the call for an immediate withdrawal is intensifying among citizens and politicians: especially the presidential candidates.
Since claiming the House and Senate, Democrats have jumped at the opportunity to call for President Bush to set a clearly defined timetable for U.S withdrawal. House majority leader Harry Reed is drafting legislation that stipulates Bush must agree to a withdrawal of our armed forces in the region in order for our troops to receive more funding.
Bush, on the other hand, has been vehement in his stance and has said he will veto any proposed war funding bill that includes a timetable.
The back and forth name-calling and rhetoric is nothing more than politics as usual, which makes both sides wrong on the issue.
Whether you agree or not, the U.S. has been forced into a situation that has no room for cheesy political stances and photo opportunities with soldiers in the field.
But as much as we want our service members to be on the next flight home, doing so would cause further conflict in not only Iraq, but also the entire Middle East region.
Contrary to what the administration is shoveling, we are in the midst of a civil war. Sectarian violence is on the rise, and brave American men and women are caught in the middle. The political game between
Washington and Baghdad has become dangerously ridiculous.
Bush has lobbed threats at the al-Maliki-led Iraqi Congress telling him to get his country in order or America will pull out. Al-Maliki, in turn, said he was doing all he could and asked for the American people to be patient as progress was surely being made in his country.
Regardless of what Bush or the Democrats are saying, we cannot and should not leave. The only viable solution is a phased redeployment of our forces outside of the major cities and provinces.
There we could establish bases where quick response forces could mobilize and respond to incidents in minutes, cutting down on the sitting duck strategy we currently employ.
Next, the administration needs to acknowledge that a military solution alone in Iraq is no solution at all.
There needs to be some type of diplomatic conversation with Iraq’s neighbors instead of threats and condemnation.
Every time the administration slanders a country and its leadership, the administration helps recruit another terrorist, leaving our men and women bearing the brunt the rhetoric brings.
After four years of combat operations in Iraq, it is obvious that stay the course was and still is a failed policy. It is time for the administration to acknowledge the wishes of the American people and give our troops a fighting chance to win.
Our administration owes them and us that much.
