By Staff
During his address to the nation Wednesday night, President Bush was expected to acknowledge it was a mistake not to have more American and Iraqi troops fighting the war in Iraq.
That acknowledgment is appreciated, even if it is overdue. The president’s recognition of the fact that his approach to fighting that war has been flawed provides some indication he is willing to change his policies in an effort to improve the plight of American forces in Iraq.
Bush was also expected to announce he will send 21,500 additional American military personnel to Iraq. It’s a shame that more American men and women will be sent overseas to fight in a war. But if the additional forces can shorten the war and bring that war to a favorable end for the United States, perhaps that sacrifice should be made.
Those mistakes won’t go unnoticed. They will receive plenty of attention.
As Bush was preparing to speak Wednesday night, Democrats were voicing their opposition to the troop buildup. Newly elected House Speaker Nancy Pelosi vowed to hold a vote on the proposal to send more American forces to Iraq. In the Senate, Democratic leaders, hoping to win some support from Republicans, plan to have the Senate debate a symbolic measure next week also expressing opposition to troop increases, according to an Associated Press report.
Instead of quarreling among themselves, Democrats, Republicans and independents in Congress should be working together to end the war and bring home American forces. The politicians should spend less time pointing fingers and more time joining hands when it comes to doing what’s right — ending the war so American men and women are no longer in harm’s way in Iraq.
Many Americans are not satisfied with how the war in Iraq is being handled by the Bush administration.
It’s heartening to know the president isn’t satisfied with how the war is going. He needs to turn that dissatisfaction into action — action that will end the war as soon as possible. That action should include making it clear the American commitment has limits. Iraqis must understand they must do certain things to continue to receive American support.
The Iraqis must talk less and do more.
The Bush administration should not shoulder all the blame for the situation in Iraq.
Bartlett is right on the mark when he says the Iraqis failed to deliver on previous pledges to commit more of their troops. The Iraqis should be more involved. After all, it’s their country being ravaged by the war. It’s their people being killed by insurgents.
Bush is willing to try something different in Iraq. Give him credit for doing that. Whether it works remains to be seen. If it does end the war, let’s give him credit for doing that.