http://www.crisispapers.org/essays-p/gotta-give.htm

Ernest Partridge, Co-Editor

The Crisis Papers

January 8, 2005


At the close of 2004, more than 1200 American military and more than
100,000 Iraqis were dead as a result of the war.

And for what?

The original justifications for this war, Saddam's WMDs and his al
Qaeda connection, as proclaimed by Colin Powell to the Security
Council in February, 2002, and by George Bush shortly before, in his
State of the Union address, are now universally recognized as bogus.

So now there is a new justification: "bringing democracy to the people
of Iraq."

Day after day, the Iraqis are making abundantly clear what they think
of our gift.

There is still no exit strategy from the Iraq war, and while we
remain, our presence stimulates the recruitment of al Qaeda
terrorists, and our international prestige, now at an all-time low,
continues to free-fall.

In another year, in another ten years, how many more dead and wounded
will be sacrificed to this folly?

How many more parents will grieve, how many more young wives will be
widowed, how many children will be orphaned -- needlessly,
meaninglessly?

The Vietnam war taught us that there are limits to the numbers of lies
that the American people will believe, and the numbers of losses that
they will endure.

There still are limits.

Sooner or later, the American people will say "enough!" -- and they
will throw out the scoundrels that brought this misery upon us and
upon the people of Iraq, and who stained our good name and reputation
with the world community.

________________________________________________________________

That may be wishful thinking. American voters had that opportunity in
November.


From The Washington Post, 1/12/05:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A2129-2005Jan11.html

Search for Bush's fictitious WMD is now over. None found. 1,357
American troops are dead

Harry