Iraq Pullout

It's time to look for an end to the occupation of Iraq. Rep. John Muthra has offered a reasonable suggestion for a pullout to begin within six months. This would give the Iraqis time to settle into their new government after the December 15th election. Lingering much longer than that would give the "insurgency" more incentive to continue fighting, rather than less. Muthra is correct in that we are the real targets now, even though it was probably so from the beginning. It needs to finally be acknowledged that the United States' presence in Iraq is part of the problem rather than the solution. Unless we make it clear that we will eventually leave completely, the violence is bound to continue unabated. The idea that we should stay because the resistance wants us to leave is the most ironic and tragic absurdity given so far. The real reasons have more to do with the goals of those in charge of the U.S. government than any altruism toward Iraq. Even though the unadorned truth about why we are there might hurt morale, asking troops to sacrifice their lives without being honest with them is many times worse.

The attacks on the messenger came immediately and were characterized by much handwringing and gratuitous posturing. White House press secretary Scott McCllellan exclaimed that John Muthra was "endorsing the policy positions of Michael Moore and the extreme liberal wing of the Democratic party." One relatively new member of the House of Representatives resorted to terming those who advocate a timetable to exit Iraq as "cowards" who wanted to "cut and run." These kind of histrionics show the war advocates in a bad light and distances them from the mainstream they claim to represent. The charges were answered beautifully by Muthra himself, pointing out that he drives by Arlington Cemetery everyday on the way to work, and the tombstones don't say Democrat or Republican, but American. It should also be noted that hurling insults is detrimental to rational discourse, and fails to address the issues at hand. Muthra's credentials are unassailable compared with those making such wild comparisons.

The Iraqi people overwhelmingly want us out of their country and they should be the ultimate arbiters in the matter. This war never had anything to do with the security of the U.S., but rather the interests of the radicals currently controlling our government. The corporate press continues to bolster the Bush administration's case that we are somehow fighting the "war on terror" in Iraq, by printing White House propaganda on a daily basis. They keep announcing that we are capturing or killing this or that "terrorist," only to later admit it wasn't necessarily true. It's hard to get the facts to the American people when there is so much noise from the media echo chamber. Major news articles keep saying Democrats "voted for the war," when what they did was give President Bush the power to invade Iraq, if necessary. It was the President that made the decision, though the authority to declare war should never have been surrendered by Congress. Clearly the resolution was all a formality anyway, since Bush was intent on invasion from the start of his first term.

Investigations into the way we were misled into Iraq are crucial to the future of the U.S. and the rest of the world. The pre-emptive strike mentality must be repudiated and a new era of truth and openness needs to follow. Congressional hearings are a first step towards this goal, along with the various criminal indictments going forward. Wrong-doing by our government needs to be thoroughly exposed before a broad reversal can ensue. Our basic philosophy must again include justice and freedom for all without being just an empty slogan. This means an end to the use of torture, as defined by the Geneva Conventions. Any defense of these tactics is the ultimate proof of hypocrisy, since that was one of the stated reasons for overthrowing Saddam Hussein's regime in the first place. Meanwhile, we deny that we torture captives or employ chemical weapons, while claiming the right to continue doing just that. For instance, it recently emerged that our troops had indeed used white phosphorus against targets, though our military vociferously insisted otherwise.

Unfortunately, President Bush and his administration are loath to admit any mistakes or change course for fear of losing their dwindling base of support. They seem to really believe their deceptions, or need to continue them to protect themelves. The administration is still determined to control the Middle East and retain long-term contracts for its oil; that's why they don't want to leave. However, their energy policies are outdated, and actually threaten our security rather than strengthening it. It's too bad that they have put us in a position where removing them from office may be the only way to restore confidence in our government. But before Democrats can take any major steps they need to articulate an alternative vision, and this needs to include Republicans and Independents in the discussion as well. We must go beyond liberal and conservative labels and find common ground, without diluting what the country truly stands for. Once that occurs, we can join together in healing our nation, as well as Iraq.

Sources:

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/1117-08.htm

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