| Next week, the Iraq Study Group, a committee | | | | wage that fight, except for American soldiers. |
| of so-called WISE MEN, will go public on what they | | | | This is a recipe for disaster. |
| feel the United States should do to extract itself | | | | Every day as Chairman of I am involved in the |
| from the current civil war in Iraq. I believe that | | | | stock market. We have a saying in Wall Street, a |
| among their recommendations will be: | | | | stock is going to go where it's going to go. You |
| - Entering into diplomatic negotiations with both | | | | can not support a stock, unless you are prepared |
| Syria and Iran to get their help in settling the | | | | to buy the VERY LAST SHARE. The reason is |
| violent internal situation in Baghdad. | | | | that once you are done buying a stock, it will |
| - The embedding of US troops directly into Iraqi | | | | trade where it's going to trade on that last share |
| army units to stiffen them up into a more potent | | | | that you haven't bought. |
| fighting force. | | | | The analogy to Iraq is that unless you are |
| The vital question is where does this leave us? I | | | | prepared to kill the very last terrorist, that |
| lived through Viet Nam, and I understand the | | | | terrorist is going to remain long after the |
| origins of the Korean War. I have also taken the | | | | American presence is gone. I know the President |
| time to study guerilla tactics that were used in | | | | probably sincerely believes that by remaining in |
| Malaysia, Burma, and various African countries. To | | | | Iraq we are working towards the reconfiguration |
| quote a movie, "Houston, we have a problem". | | | | of the government into a democracy. I believe |
| Our President is asleep at the switch on this one, | | | | we are simply postponing the INEVITABLE. Right |
| and is caught up in a cycle of decision making that | | | | now that looks like a Shia led government in |
| he doesn't seem capable of extricating himself | | | | Baghdad with no room for the Sunnis who |
| from. | | | | supported Saddam. In fact, the Shia will continue |
| Our DECISION WINDOW whereby we could have | | | | to kill the Sunni's and the Sunni's will retaliate by |
| possibly turned Iraq into a democracy has now | | | | killing Shia when they can, and our President |
| PASSED. We did in fact win the war. It took 29 | | | | wants decent young Americans to hang on in |
| days to take control of Baghdad. It could take | | | | between, and get shot at. |
| more than a dozen years at this point with a | | | | To quote people smarter than me, "IT AIN'T |
| continued outlay of $200 billion per year, and | | | | GONNA WORK". We are simply putting off what |
| several thousand American lives per year plus ten | | | | is going to happen any way. The difference is that |
| thousand American causalities per year to | | | | later, it will be at a greater cost to our brave |
| potentially build a democracy - no guarantees | | | | American soldiers, and our national treasury. This |
| though. The question is FOR WHAT? | | | | President chooses to borrow the money from |
| If the answer is to IMPOSE democracy on a | | | | foreigners to finance the war effort. He has |
| country where Thomas Jefferson and George | | | | asked for sacrifice from our troops only, nothing |
| Washington do not seem to exist, then it can not | | | | from Americans. |
| be done. You are simply beating your head | | | | There have been no tax increases to pay for this |
| against the wall. This is not an American failure in | | | | disaster, only increases in the national debt so that |
| my opinion. What we were attempting to achieve | | | | our children and their children will shoulder the |
| was simply not achievable. Certainly not without | | | | burden. The army is now having problems fulfilling |
| the presence of hundreds of thousands of | | | | its manpower requirements. We are stretched |
| additional American troops, which is not in the | | | | thin. The Iranians and North Koreans know we |
| cards? | | | | can not currently wage another military action in |
| This is a region built on dictatorships. It is no | | | | either country. We are bogged down in Iraq. |
| coincidence that Saddam Hussein was a brutal | | | | The American people on the other hand have |
| dictator. The argument has always been | | | | shown that they are out in front of their |
| advanced as to "Whether Saddam Hussein made | | | | President leading him, as opposed to him leading |
| Iraq, or did Iraq make Saddam Hussein". After the | | | | them which is an unusual situation. The recent |
| last three years, the question is more appropriate | | | | Congressional elections clearly demonstrate that |
| than ever. | | | | the people want a change in direction in the war |
| In our country we consider life to be very | | | | NOW. If the President continues to stay the |
| precious. Don't go by the headlines in the | | | | course, or dig himself deeper into a hole in the |
| newspapers. That's toilet reading. Go by what | | | | face of the people wanting a change, the |
| happens when miners get trapped in mines, or | | | | complete rejection of the Republican Party will |
| when a woman is trapped in a burning building. | | | | take place in the next Presidential election. |
| What about when a child falls into an abandoned | | | | You have to realize that the Republican Party in |
| well? Is any thought given to the cost of saving | | | | the last twelve years gerrymandered just about |
| these individuals? The answer is none. Every | | | | every seat in the House of Representatives in |
| conceivable way that can be utilized to save lives | | | | order to maintain control of that body. In spite of |
| is grabbed at by the emergency workers. | | | | the cards being stacked against the Democrats, |
| When you look at the Mid East, you realize we | | | | the people delivered the House to the Democratic |
| are dealing with a region that gives no thought to | | | | Party anyway. This was not a vote of confidence |
| human life. Wasting lives there is a daily fact of | | | | for the Democrats. People were simple voting |
| living. It always has been this way, and always will | | | | AGAINST the Republicans, and privately the |
| be. I am not a pessimist; I must deal with reality | | | | Democrats will acknowledge this. |
| however. In over a half century of living I have | | | | The answer is for the President to announce |
| found certain notions to be eternally true. One of | | | | immediately a phased withdrawal and put the |
| them is that you can't ever want more for | | | | burden of building a country back onto the Iraqis |
| another human being than that human being | | | | where it belongs. It is their country. They must be |
| wants for themselves. You will simply waste your | | | | willing to die for building their own democracy, or |
| time, and your energy. People have to be ready | | | | leave it to the next dictator to pick up the pieces. |
| to fight for democracy. Nobody in Iraq is willing to | | | | It won't be Thomas Jefferson, he's just not there. |