Iraq a "Remarkable Achievement"--Dick Cheney

On a recent world tour Vice-President Cheney championed the Iraq War as a “remarkable achievement.” Such positive talk flies in the face of the facts on the ground. Americans and Iraqis are dying daily. Children are not being allowed to attend school in those places where schools even exist. Power shortages and outages are a daily affair. Gasoline shortages are common. Oil production is down compared to pre-invasion times. Yes, the achievement is remarkable if one considers abject failure the goal.

There is no military solution to be had in Iraq. The facts of the invasion show only a failing course. We must bring our troops home and the sooner the better. The longer we continue to occupy Iraq the higher will be the costs. We as a country should no longer support this level “achievement.”

Bring the Troops Home Alive

Current costs for the occupation of Iraq exceed $200 million per day. For that expenditure we get increasing numbers of American dead, increasing numbers of American wounded, a country on the brink of civil war, and an ongoing burden with no end in sight. In Iraq fewer than 30 percent of children attended school in 2006 compared to nearly 100 percent attendance before the invasion. Oil production is reduced from pre-invasion levels. As many as 3000 Iraqis are leaving the country daily leading to a new refugee crisis in the world. Is the ongoing occupation really worth our expense? Are we getting any piece of real value for our investment?

In spite of repeated assurances to the contrary, the occupation is not going well. By all measures our occupation of Iraq is failing. The people wish our forces would withdraw. America can ill afford the costs in both lives and dollars. The time has come to recognize our failure and bring our troops home. There is no greater way to support the troops than to have them brought home alive and well.

Iraq is Breeding Terrorism

President Bush has said on more than one occasion, “We are fighting the terrorists over there to prevent them from coming over here.” And yet the government has offered no direct evidence that any such prevention is occurring. Are we in fact safer today as a result of the invasion of Iraq?

According to a recent study by faculty members of the NY University School of Law here, the incidence of terrorist attacks outside Iraq and Afghanistan have increased more than 35 percent since the day of the invasion of Iraq. If the attacks inside Iraq and Afghanistan are added to the total, the increase is near seven fold (635 percent). The evidence is clear. The invasion of Iraq it would seem increased the likelihood of a terrorist attack if the data are to be believed.

As the evidence of failure in Iraq mounts we see increasing evidence of an overall failure of the war on terror. The time has come to insist upon a new course. We have no more lives to lose. Congress must insist on withdrawal from Iraq before any more of our troops die. Then we can seek a new approach to countering terrorism.

The Surge is Already Failing

The surge is on. More American troops are being sent to Iraq every day. Accompanying the increased numbers of troops is increasing violence within the country. American deaths are occurring at a rate of more than three per day. Bomb attacks against civilians are being reported at an ever-increasing rate. More helicopters have been downed by enemy fire in the first two months of this year than in any other period in the entire war.

How much longer are we, the American public, willing to stand for this deteriorating condition. Why should we believe any surge of troop numbers will lead to a better situation in Iraq. Each previous increase in the American presence has led to more American deaths. We see the same occurrence so far this month. We must insist on an immediate end to this fiasco. We have no more children to lose. Call and write your Congressmen. Let them know we will no longer stand for this ongoing misery. The sooner withdrawal of all American troops is accomplished the better for all concerned.

Disastrous Consequences in Iraq

In a recent news conference President Bush warns of “disastrous consequences” in Iraq if the American military is withdrawn. How much more of a disaster could there be? Civil war is underway between Sunni and Shia elements in most parts of the country. School attendance is down to 30% or so as parents fear letting children leave the house. Electricity and oil production are each well below pre-invasion levels. The Iraqi economy is in shambles with unemployment running at all time highs.

Disastrous consequences indeed. The consequence of our invasion and ongoing occupation are disastrous for sure. How much worse could the situation be made if American forces were withdrawn? To adhere to a continuing failing course is madness. The consequences of maintaining our occupation of Iraq are well beyond disastrous. The time for full and rapid American withdrawal is now no matter what the President may believe.

Is Iraq Worth the Costs?

Was it worth the cost? Each of us should be asking ourselves that question when we think about Iraq and all we have spent in that invasion and occupation. More than 3000 soldiers are dead. Untold billions of dollars have been spent. The monetary cost continues to escalate at a rate of many millions per day. Our military is stretched to the breaking point. We have given up much of our personal freedom in this country to a “War on Terror.” Was Iraq worth this cost to America? What have we gained to make the costs worthwhile? Are we more safe in our world today than four years ago when the invasion of Iraq began?

I would argue there is little or no merit whatsoever to either the invasion or the subsequent occupation of Iraq. We have gained no new oil reserves. Saddam Hussein no longer rules, but he had become a toothless tiger by the time of his downfall. The longer we maintain a force in Iraq, the higher the costs rise. The time has come to withdraw. The time has come to bring our troops home before any more are lost. Otherwise the cost will be far too high.