Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Iraqi Independence Day
The president -- and the nation -- have a tremendous amount at stake in the success of the Iraq mission, including stabilizing the Middle East, advancing freedom/democracy in the Muslim world and defeating Islamic terrorism.
In the face of the American public's cooling support for the Iraq war, President Bush's national address tonight -- noting the first anniversary of the transfer of sovereignty to the new Iraqi government.
Peter Brookes: The president must trumpet the (under-reported) successes since Iraq's Independence Day: Eight million Iraqis braving death to vote in democratic elections, establishing a free government and drafting a new constitution is no small feat -- and a good news story.
Tonight the president must help an increasingly skeptical public and Congress understand the nature of the struggle we're in - and why we can't simply cut and run in the face of an aggressive terrorist insurgency.
If the president doesn't effectively make his case, calls will very likely increase in an already-wobbly Congress to curtail -- or even end -- U.S. involvement in Iraq before the job is completed.
That would be a tragic mistake -- for Iraq, America and beyond.
The president must also soundly quash the idea of an early withdrawal from Iraq, now being tossed about on Capitol Hill. As Defense Secretary Don Rumsfeld said last week in testimony before the Senate, setting a deadline for withdrawal "would throw a lifeline to terrorists."
Last Friday, President Bush welcomed Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al Jaafari to the White House. After a closed door meeting, Bush said, "Today we're at a critical moment in the history of this proud nation."
He was talking about Iraq, but the fact is that United States is also at a "critical moment" in its history. We are deeply involved in a Herculean effort to reshape the Middle East, "draining the swamp" of extremism and repression that feeds terrorism.
America must decide whether it will finish the job in Iraq, or let the region be plunged deeper into the darkness of the likes of Saddam Hussein, the Taliban and Osama bin Laden. President Bush should make that choice clear to the American people.
The president -- and the nation -- have a tremendous amount at stake in the success of the Iraq mission, including stabilizing the Middle East, advancing freedom/democracy in the Muslim world and defeating Islamic terrorism.
In the face of the American public's cooling support for the Iraq war, President Bush's national address tonight -- noting the first anniversary of the transfer of sovereignty to the new Iraqi government.
Peter Brookes: The president must trumpet the (under-reported) successes since Iraq's Independence Day: Eight million Iraqis braving death to vote in democratic elections, establishing a free government and drafting a new constitution is no small feat -- and a good news story.
Tonight the president must help an increasingly skeptical public and Congress understand the nature of the struggle we're in - and why we can't simply cut and run in the face of an aggressive terrorist insurgency.
If the president doesn't effectively make his case, calls will very likely increase in an already-wobbly Congress to curtail -- or even end -- U.S. involvement in Iraq before the job is completed.
That would be a tragic mistake -- for Iraq, America and beyond.
The president must also soundly quash the idea of an early withdrawal from Iraq, now being tossed about on Capitol Hill. As Defense Secretary Don Rumsfeld said last week in testimony before the Senate, setting a deadline for withdrawal "would throw a lifeline to terrorists."
Last Friday, President Bush welcomed Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al Jaafari to the White House. After a closed door meeting, Bush said, "Today we're at a critical moment in the history of this proud nation."
He was talking about Iraq, but the fact is that United States is also at a "critical moment" in its history. We are deeply involved in a Herculean effort to reshape the Middle East, "draining the swamp" of extremism and repression that feeds terrorism.
America must decide whether it will finish the job in Iraq, or let the region be plunged deeper into the darkness of the likes of Saddam Hussein, the Taliban and Osama bin Laden. President Bush should make that choice clear to the American people.
