He doesn't know how long we'll be in Iraq. He doesn't know if we're safer for the war in Iraq. He doesn't know because it's not his job to know. It's Bush's job, and Bush's failure. Petraeus is the military guy, and should not be a primary spokesman for the White House on the war since we're all agreed there is no military solution in Iraq.
So, where the hell was Bush? "Uniting" the country in memory of the victims of 9-11? Spending the day in front of the Senate, defending his war? No, of course not. He left that to Petraeus, who, of course, can NOT be responsible for ending this war, because there is no military solution, and Petraeus is the military guy. Ambassador Crocker, who was completely out of his league? I don't think he has much of a clue. Where was the guy who started this war, promoted it, and won't get us out of it?
Bush is the one who's supposed to know. I think it's pretty obvious he doesn't. Why didn't he defend his war to Congress?
Petraeus and Crocker were the wrong guys in the wrong place at the wrong time. I'd say pretty much a metaphor for Bush's fiasco.
That's not to say Petraeus is totally without responsibility for the quagmire that is Iraq. He was tasked with training the Iraqis, and painted a pretty rosy picture of their progress just six weeks before the 2004 election in a Washington Post op-ed. That was three years ago. Difficult to believe that none are trained well enough to take over security for their country and allow our troops to stand down.
They don't know how to end this mess. But someone does.
Comments (1)
Posted by Kerryvisionary | September 13, 2007 10:38 AM
Great post, Faith! This needs to be said as often as possible. This is Bush's war. He started it and then walked away. History will record the truth. And the truth must also include that John Kerry has been telling us how to save lives and heal the region for years now.