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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: michael97123 who wrote (183841)	3/21/2006 10:34:55 AM
From: Hawkmoon	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 281500

Point was that if public support for a war falls apart, your choices become limited. You cannot as president etc. indefinitely say we will stay the course. Yep.. absolutely!! Bush has to do a BETTER JOB of explaining what's at stake. In fact, I'm listening to his press conference right now. I am gratified that he's mentioned that Al Qai'da's goal is to make Iraq the center front on the war against the US. And FINALLY, he's emphasizing the fact that a democratic Iraq will have an impact on reforming neighboring countries. He needs to continue to HARP on the fact that the enemy who attacked us is operating in Iraq and that we must confront the enemy where they are operating. As for keeping US casualties down... I do believe that by playing the "carrot/stick" policy with the Iraqi political leadership, demanding more and more that they take the steps necessary to unify their country on pain of our leaving them to their fate (a likely civil war), and to build a professional and competent military to maintain their internal and external security. What Bush needs to focus upon is how a losing Iraq to the forces of totalitarianism will only provide a base for terrorism networks to find sanctuary and financial and logistical support. If, as I've premised previously, that there is an unholy coalition between the Former Regime Elements (FRE) and Al Qai'da, then the American MUST accept that this threat will only grow exponentially upon our retreat from Iraq. It will provide one example, as Mogadishu did, to encourage the Jihadists to expand their activities, having the knowledge that the US will not, at anytime in the near future, opt again to thwart their agenda. Thus, I see a lot of potential risk by running with our tail tucked between our legs from Iraq before we've helped the moderate elements in that society to become powerful enough to dominate their more extremist rivals and protect their fledgling democracy. And I see FAR MORE Iraqis dying as a result of our retreat, than are currently dying now as these various power groups attempt to use violence as a tool to impose their own agendas upon all Iraqis, if not the entire region. Hawk