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October 1, 2004
President Bush missed a golden opportunity last night to defend his decisions on Iraq and explain to the American public how he plans to win the war against terrorism. He failed on both fronts. The president's defense of his national security record amounted to little more than "trust me" – a difficult proposition for people to swallow given the obvious failures in Iraq and the spreading threat of global terrorism.
- President Bush failed to explain to Americans how the war in Iraq has made us safer. With terrorists pouring into Iraq and the insurgency growing rapidly, the onus is on the president to show Americans how this massive commitment of troops and money has made them safer. In fact, Iraq has drained resources that could be used to strengthen homeland security.
- President Bush failed to explain to Americans why he diverted attention away from al Qaeda. Iraq clearly was not a central front in the war on terror before President Bush invaded the country. Saddam Hussein did not attack us on 9/11 and he was not in concert with al Qaeda prior to 9/11. By shifting focus away from the fight against al Qaeda in Afghanistan, the president has failed to protect the American people from the primary threat to the United States today.
- President Bush failed to explain to Americans that he understands the severity of the threat posed by Iran and North Korea. President Bush claimed that the war against Saddam was necessary to stop the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. But Saddam had no weapons of mass destruction. And since American troops invaded Iraq, North Korea has increased its nuclear stockpile and Iran moved closer to a nuclear capacity.
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. |
