The Dichotomy of Two Wars

Sixty percent of Americans oppose the war in Iraq. The latest polling of Iraqis indicate that 80 percent want the U.S. to leave and a majority believes that Iraq will be more stable without the presence of U.S. troops. Many intelligence reports indicate that the war in Iraq has radicalized more European Muslims and strengthened terrorist recruitment efforts throughout the world. And yet given these facts, the Bush Administration refuses to consider a policy aimed at a timely and responsible disengagement of our military from Iraq. Instead they insist on staying a course with no end in site. They insist on staying a course that has been riddled with catastrophic mistakes. They insist on staying a course that is costing the American taxpayer 8 billion dollars a month. They insist on staying a course that is counterproductive in our efforts to eradicate terrorism. They insist on staying a course where the death tolls are increasing by the day, one that has taken the lives of over 2,600 of our own and is now claiming the lives of 100 Iraqis per day.

Compare this against the backdrop of the war in Lebanon. The United States and virtually all other members of the United Nations Security Council continue to push for an end to the war between Israel and Hezbollah. The lead taken by the United States to end the violence and to stop the loss of innocent lives has been applauded. The Bush Administration is moving with speed and deliberation to end the one war, but not the other. Those who speak of ending the war in Lebanon, to stop the loss of more lives, are seen as skillful diplomats. Yet those who dare speak about ending the war in Iraq are labeled by Bush's henchmen as unpatriotic defeatists. The American public opposes the war in Iraq. The Iraqi population opposes an open ended occupation of their country. The International community opposes the war the Iraq. So, why the dichotomy of the two wars?