Lindsay Graham's 'Failed State'

by Taylor Marsh

Lindsay Graham has taken over the Dick Cheney-Condi Rice-George W. Bush Iraq propaganda patter. He should win an Emmy for his performance yesterday on "Meet the Press." But we better hope this isn't true, because if the Republican plan is all we've got we're screwed. It's still fear factor or bust for Bush and his bunch.

Over and over again Graham used an alarming description for Iraq, falsely claiming that Iraq is teetering towards a "failed state." There's only one reason he used those words. It was to scare Americans into changing their minds on the Iraq escalation currently in place, which the majority of the country clearly opposes. Republicans are desperate. They're also not facing reality.

If we aren't going to stay for 10-15 years, which we're not unless John McCain wins in '08, Graham's preferred candidate, then we're going to leave Iraq sooner rather than later. That would be a disaster for Republicans, even though it's the only way to build the strength back into our military. The truth is that the civil war can be tamped down, as the Iraqi insurgents wait us out, but the fighting between Shia and Sunnis cannot be stopped by the American military. However, there is not a "failed state" waiting for the Iraqis at any time in the future or over the horizon. Lindsay Graham is using these words to try to conjure up an Al Qaeda playing field in order to threaten and scare Americans. It's a monstrous manipulation by the senator. To say it's propaganda is being kind.

The president's going forward based on an assumption that a failed state in Iraq is a mighty blow in the overall war on terror. He's going forward based on the assumption that, if you put military reinforcement, political and economic reinforcement, you can turn it around.

(snip)

Here's the one thing I can guarantee you, that if a failed state in Iraq occurs, the war gets bigger, not smaller. Here's what I'd like to do going forward. Give the commanders what they haven't had in the past, the resources they need, give them the breathing space to do it, allow the Iraqi people to regroup, but insist that they do better, and understand that a failed state is a nightmare for this country. I believe very passionately that the worst thing this country could do is have a failed state in Iraq, because it's part of the war on terror. The war doesn't stop the day we leave Iraq, if it fails, it gets bigger and wider, that the Shia south becomes a puppet regime for Iran--they're the biggest winner of a failed state--that the Turks are not going to sit on the sidelines and watch Iraq degenerate into chaos and allow an independent Kurdistan.

(snip)

We're not going to send a signal to the terrorists that, if you do the five things in these resolution, you win. The biggest mistake would be leaving Iraq as a failed state. ...

Meet the Press (transcript)

You've got to give the senator an "A" for message control. But he gets an F- on facts, truth and facing reality.

The Iraqis are proud of their country, whether you're talking Shia, Sunni or the Kurds, but that's not even the point. The Iraqis have voted, we've got Maliki in place and even if he fails someone will certainly rise to take his place, whether it's Hakim or whomever. There is no way that the Iraqis are going to cede their country to Al Qaeda, especially since the majority in the country is Shia. Graham's "failed state" mantra is a canard. It is flatly false and it's my belief the senator knows it. However, Mr. Graham doesn't have any intention of talking straight to the American people. He wants to threaten everyone with a "failed state" in Iraq, because Republicans have run out of rope and John McCain's presidential candidacy is dangling on the end of it.

Al Qaeda is in Anbar Province, but they will never take over Iraq, because the Iraqis won't allow it to happen. In addition, all this talk from Graham about "moderates" is laughable. The moderates fled Iraq a long time ago, flooding Jordan and creating a vast refugee crisis about to explode. The misinformation out of Graham's mouth yesterday was appalling. To make matters worse Russert just sat there and let it flow.

- Taylor Marsh LIVE! can be heard from 3-4 pm eastern - 12-1 p.m pacific, Mon.-Thurs, with podcasts available.