President Bush to Veto His Own Plan for Iraq

Posted by Mary Mancini on April 24, 2007 under Uncategorized |

The Democrat’s plan for withdrawl from Iraq is a reasonable one calling for “some American forces to remain in or near Iraq to make targeted counterterrorism attacks and train Iraqi forces; appeals for international diplomacy to nudge Iraqi factions to negotiations; and demands that the Iraqi government meet deadlines for progress on political reforms.” If these deadlines are not met, then troop withdrawl will begin.

President Bush has stated that he will veto the legislation passed by both the House and the Senate because he strongly rejects “an artificial timetable,” “setting dates for bringing troops home would allow America’s enemies to wait out U.S. forces,” and “Politicians in Washington shouldn’t be telling generals how to do their job.”

So why at the same time is he “warning Iraqi leaders that the boost in forces could be reversed if political reconciliation is not evident by summer”? And why did Secretary of Defense Gates say this week during a visit to Iraq that the “clock is ticking” and that he wants “to see faster political progress by the Iraqis”? Interestingly, Gates also told Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki that the United States will not keep fighting indefinitely.

Apparently, the Bush administration and Congress want the same thing - to hold the Iraqi government accountable for some progress and if none is made then to begin troop withdrawl. Bush’s veto threat is a lethal combination of posturing and hubris, both inappropriate while soldiers and civilians continue to perish.