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November 8, 2004
Based on the Bush administration's post-election victory lap over the weekend, the war in Iraq is neither a top priority nor a pressing concern for the president's second term. Senior officials talk generically about "spreading freedom" but seem more interested in privatizing Social Security, changing the tax system, and amending the constitution to ban gay marriage than in fixing the security and reconstruction mess in Iraq.
- The need to secure Fallujah more than a year and half after the invasion highlights the administration's total incompetence in Iraq. The administration went in without a plan to secure Iraq and left entire cities open to control by rebel insurgents. Now, with elections right around the corner, Prime Minister Allawi has called for two months of martial law and American forces are preparing for a full assault on Fallujah and other areas.
- The failure to secure Iraq from the outset now threatens to destabilize the transition to democracy and free elections. Security failures in Iraq have severely hindered reconstruction efforts and limited the capacity of the U.N. and others to prepare for elections. A full out invasion of Fallujah risks splintering Sunni support for the elections or even worse spark civil war.
- President Bush needs to tell the American people exactly what he plans to do with our troops in Iraq. A vague notion of spreading democracy and freedom to the Middle East does not address the very real problems of our overextended military. Our troops and their families deserve to know exactly what they are fighting for, what to expect, and how long they might be forced to stay in the region.
Daily Talking Points is a product of the American Progress Action Fund.
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Daily Talking Points is a product of the American Progress Action Fund. |
