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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group
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To: one_less who wrote (145416)9/10/2004 5:39:49 PM
From: GST  Read Replies (1) of 281500
 
<I am convinced that the path we are on 'could' lead to a conditions that bring the Iraqi people into the world community in a safe and reasonable way, without compromising either their beliefs or culture. I think there is a lot more that needs to happen than simply establishing security forces before this can happen and we should be talking about what that would be.>

The primary weakness we now have is our almost complete loss of credibility with most people in the world -- the world is partisan and decidedly against us so long as Bush is President -- this is the result of US policy under Bush. The war on terror is, first and foremost, a war for the hearts and minds of people who are also being recruited by terrorists. We give the terrorists credibility. They use our policies as a recruitment tool. They use Bush as a recruitment tool. If Bush declared a major change in policy, most Americans would have trouble believing him -- few if any foreigners would believe him. And there is no sign he recognizes the depth of the mistakes made so far.

We need to build bridges to the world, not burn them down. We needed to be connected to the world, not isolated. We need to be welcomed by the world, not hated and bitterly distrusted. In the battles that count, the ones for hearts and minds, we are getting crushed, and mainly from our own "friendly fire" in Washington.
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