2008 Woodie Awards
Bush Continues to Mislead the American People
Kevin Agnese
Issue date: 2/16/05 Section: Perspectives
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In a speech that lacked specific direction for the future of American policy in Iraq, and with a clear plan to dismantle Social Security, President Bush's State of the Union address was once again misleading and inaccurate. As the Department of Defense identified 1,435 American service members who have died since the war began (as of Feb. 2), Bush failed to present any sense of a clear exit strategy during his speech. His unwillingness to level with our troops and the American people about the situation in Iraq is a disgrace. Our servicemen and women deserve better from the man who sent them into harms way.
There should be sincere congratulations for the millions of Iraqis who participated in the election process on Jan. 30, particularly to those who voted in the most hostile areas of the country where the likelihood of violence was abundant. Their heroic actions and refusal to be intimidated should remind us all about the importance of voting. While these elections were a step in the right direction, the massive violence in the nation continues, and insurgents like Abu Musab al-Zarqawi aren't just going to pack up and leave.
An exit strategy is a necessity because our nation and our troops need to know what victory is. Our troops deserve to know how they can achieve victory, as well. Does anyone really know what victory is in this war? In his State of the Union address the president said, "We will not set an artificial timetable for leaving Iraq, because that would embolden the terrorists and make them believe they can wait us out." Again, Bush fails to realize that insurgents (or the American enemy) fighting in their own country will never give up! Have we learned nothing from Vietnam? They will fight until we leave. In his speech Bush said we would stay in Iraq until the nation is "democratic, representative of all its people, at peace with its neighbors and able to defend itself." Well, what exactly does that mean? Where do you draw the line in terms of what is considered a success or a failure? Bush declared the elections a major success, but approximately 50 people did die from insurgent attacks, and our troops continue to face violent insurgent assaults. So what's the plan? Well, George W. Bush simply doesn't have one. If we continue to follow the current bankrupt policy of the Bush administration our troops will be in Iraq for years to come, and several thousand more American and Iraqi civilians will lose their lives.
There should be sincere congratulations for the millions of Iraqis who participated in the election process on Jan. 30, particularly to those who voted in the most hostile areas of the country where the likelihood of violence was abundant. Their heroic actions and refusal to be intimidated should remind us all about the importance of voting. While these elections were a step in the right direction, the massive violence in the nation continues, and insurgents like Abu Musab al-Zarqawi aren't just going to pack up and leave.
An exit strategy is a necessity because our nation and our troops need to know what victory is. Our troops deserve to know how they can achieve victory, as well. Does anyone really know what victory is in this war? In his State of the Union address the president said, "We will not set an artificial timetable for leaving Iraq, because that would embolden the terrorists and make them believe they can wait us out." Again, Bush fails to realize that insurgents (or the American enemy) fighting in their own country will never give up! Have we learned nothing from Vietnam? They will fight until we leave. In his speech Bush said we would stay in Iraq until the nation is "democratic, representative of all its people, at peace with its neighbors and able to defend itself." Well, what exactly does that mean? Where do you draw the line in terms of what is considered a success or a failure? Bush declared the elections a major success, but approximately 50 people did die from insurgent attacks, and our troops continue to face violent insurgent assaults. So what's the plan? Well, George W. Bush simply doesn't have one. If we continue to follow the current bankrupt policy of the Bush administration our troops will be in Iraq for years to come, and several thousand more American and Iraqi civilians will lose their lives.