The president didn't outline a clearly defined mission. He never said that we will take out Saddam, find the WMD and bring democracy to Iraq. If he said that, provide a link that shows that
From the President's speech March 31, 2003, one example among many:
It has been 11 days since the major ground war began. In this short time, our troops have preformed brilliantly, with skill and with bravery. They make us proud. (Applause.) In 11 days, coalition forces have taken control of most of western and southern Iraq. In 11 days, we've seized key bridges, opened a northern front, achieved -- nearly achieved complete air superiority, and are delivering tons of humanitarian aid. By quick and decisive action, our troops are preventing Saddam Hussein from destroying the Iraqi people's oil fields. Our forces moved into Iraqi missile launch areas that threatened neighboring countries. Many dangers lie ahead, but day by day, we are moving closer to Baghdad. Day by day, we are moving closer to victory. (Applause.)
Our victory will mean the end of a tyrant who rules by fear and torture. Our victory will remove a sponsor of terror, armed with weapons of terror. Our victory will uphold the just demands of the United Nations and the civilized world. And when victory comes, it will be shared by the long-suffering people of Iraq, who deserve freedom and dignity. (Applause.)
The dictator's regime has ruled by fear and continues to use fear as a tool of domination to the end. Many Iraqis have been ordered to fight or die by Saddam's death squads. Others are pressed into service by threats against their children. Iraqi civilians attempting to flee to liberated areas have been shot and shelled from behind by Saddam's thugs. Schools and hospitals have been used to store military equipment. They serve as bases for military operations. Iraqis who show friendship toward coalition troops are murdered in cold blood by the regime's enforcers.
The people of Iraq have lived in this nightmare world for more than two decades. It is understandable that fear and distrust run deep. Yet, here in the city where America itself gained freedom, I give this pledge to the citizens of Iraq: We're coming with a mighty force to end the reign of your oppressors. We are coming to bring you food and medicine and a better life. And we are coming, and we will not stop, we will not relent until your country is free.
whitehouse.gov
There are two DNC talking points going around now: first, that the President never made democracy in Iraq a war goal. I don't believe Bush ever used the word "democracy", he just used the word "freedom" a lot, preferring to leave the final shape of the government up to the Iraqis. However, he clearly cited humanitarian reasons for the war.
The second talking point is that, well okay, the President may have talked about Iraqi freedom and those awful neocons did talk about Iraq as a model for Arab democracy, but none of that counts because Bush didn't use democracy as his 'official reason' in front of the UN. For a crowd who has been complaining bitterly for 3 years about how the neocons have hijacked foreign policy to now claim that what the neocons had to say doesn't count (because it looks to be, um, working) is just not a serious criticism in my view.
The neocons did gain lots of influence after September 11th, because it was the neocons who had been paying attention to the rise of Islamism and were expecting such an event. Everybody else, most notably the Arabists at State whose 'stability above all' policy had just been blown up under them, needed time to rearrange their thinking. |
