Bush's Iraq War Nears Merciful End

by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright August 4, 2010
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              President Barack Obama met another campaign promise, announcing Aug 4 to end combat operations in Iraq.  Barack promised he would end a wrong-headed war based, what turns out, on faulty intelligence.  When former President George W. Bush started the Iraq War March 20, 2003, his White House team, led by former Vice President Dick Cheney, relentlessly hyped Saddam Hussein’s alleged stockpile of weapons of mass destruction.  In the wake of Sept. 11, Bush insisted that the U.S. could not ignore “gathering threats” from Saddam Hussein to U.S. national security.  All the president’s men and woman made the same argument:  That Saddam represented a clear and present danger to the U.S.  Secretary of State Colin L. Powell, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice led the charge before “shock-and-awe” struck Baghdad.

            Bush and Cheney insisted that Iraq was the “central front in the war on terror,” convincing skeptics and supporters that al-Qaeda was on the verge of taking over Iraq.  “The hard truth is we have not seen the end of American sacrifice in Iraq,” Obama told the Disabled American Veterans.  “But make no mistake our commitment to Iraq is changing—from a military effort led by our troops to a civilian effort led by our diplomats,” signaling an imminent end of combat operations.  Iraq War supporters believe that any pullout of U.S. forces will result in anarchy.  Iraq’s government of Nouri al-Maliki does not enjoy popular support, after losing a disputed election.March 26.  Barack’s decision to go ahead scaling back U.S. forces from 170,000 in 2007 to 50,000 runs counter to his GOP critics, insisting he’s telegraphing an exit date, giving aid-and-comfort to the enemy.

            U.S. casualty rates in Iraq have dropped precipitously since 2007 from 961 to only 43 in the first seven months of 2010.  In 2009, 150 members of the U.S. armed services died in Iraq, signaling a shift in U.S. priorities.  Since Barack took office Jan. 20, 2009, U.S. combat operations shifted to non-combat support and logistical operations.  Since adding 21,000 more troops to Afghanistan in Feb. 2009 and 50,000 more in Dec. 2009, Afghan casualty rates have nearly doubled since Obama took office,  with 2010 promising to be the bloodiest year.  Obama’s announcement to reduce the Iraq fighting force is timed to help Democratic chances heading into this year’s midterm election.  While there’s little good news about the economy, ending the Iraq and Afghan wars energizes Barack’s 2008 presidential base, when voters got together to make a powerful statement about the war.

             Skeptics of an orderly U.S. withdrawal from Iraq cite escalating suicide attacks in Baghdad..  “Violence in Iraq continues to be near the lowest it’s been in years,” said Obama, signaling his intent to mover forward with an orderly withdrawal.  July was the deadliest month in Iraq in two years, with suicide bombings occurring at an alarming rate.  Critics of Obama’s exit strategy worry that prematurely ending combat operations would lead to more violence and anarchy.  Going ahead with a withdrawal plan signals that enough-is-enough when it comes to spending more U.S. blood and treasure.  Nobel Prize-winning NYU Stern School economist Joseph E. Stiglitz has said the Iraq War broke the U.S. economy.  Sustaining two wars while battling the worst recession since the Great Depression has sent the U.S. economy into an unending tailspin.  Obama’s instinct to get out is long overdue.

           In the lead-up to the war, Bush ignored the advice of Chief U.N. Weapons’ inspector Dr. Hans Blix, who told the White House in no uncertain terms that Saddam did not possess weapons of mass destruction.  Bush’s fateful decision to go to war in Iraq brought his otherwise stellar approval ratings, earned the hard way during his handling of Sept. 11, into a nosedive.  While Obama’s approval ratings haven’t yet hit Bush’s rock bottom, the shaky economy has pushed them down.  Barack’s best shot at stemming the slide is to do something dramatic with the Iraq and Afghan Wars.  His decision to add more that 50,000 troops to Afghanistan hasn’t helped his approval ratings.  Barack’s August 2 announcement about his Iraq exit strategy helps stem the slide before the midterm elections.  Announcing an exit strategy on Afghanistan would reassure anxious voters heading into November.

  Obama needs to reset the current mission in Afghanistan before it’s too late.  With the economy in the dumps, voters are losing patience with war strategies that don’t include withdrawal plans.  “We face huge challenges in Afghanistan,” Obama told Disabled American Veterans.  “But it’s important that the American people know that we’re making progress and we’re focusing on goals that are clear and achievable,” answering his critics.  Since Osama bin Laden and Taliban’s Mullah Mohammed Omar escaped to Pakistan during the Dec. 12-17, 2001, the U.S. lost its mission.  Contrary to Obama’s campaign promises, neither Iraq nor Afghanistan has much national security significance to the United States.  Whatever their governments decide to do with their fledgling democracies, it’s time for the United States to respect their sovereignty and gracefully bow out.     

About the Author    

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

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