Ignorance, Skewed Reality or Both?

Bush Doctrine –

Ignorance, Skewed Reality or Both?

I watched with shock and awe last night as President Bush gave us his “nurtured” month-long developed “new” Iraq strategy.

For publicity purposes, Mr. Bush went on a listening tour with the Department of Defense, military leaders, political leaders and others. He received the Iraq Study Group’s Report – a definitive list of clear changes that this distinguished group of foreign policy leaders, including a former White House chief of Staff and a former Supreme Court Justice.

In the end, the important “change in direction” begged for by the American people, as demonstrated by the election outcome and with the reality that 70% of people oppose increasing the number of troops in Iraq - was just that - an increase in the number of troops in Iraq.

Called a “surge” because they didn’t want to call it an “increase”, though the definition is the same, the Bush Administration will send an additional 20,000+ soldiers right into the middle of Iraq’s bloody Civil War. He’ll do this within the next few weeks to stop any chance Congress might have to stop him with Congressional oversight.

On top of the obvious attempt to mislead the public by calling the plan a “surge”, instead of an “increase”, President Bush also failed to tell the American people that this “surge” is only going to bring American troop totals BACK to approx. 150,000 – the number they were at this time 2 years ago. So, in fact, the “surge” is a return to the failed policy. More Americans have died each month.

If our leaders dared to tell you any remote aspect of the truth – they would tell you this:

1) We have no exit strategy;

2) We are not safer because of this Iraq disaster – Iraq was contained before the invasion , (this is based on military and foreign policy expert after expert who confirm this fact);

3) We will see more people die.

Why won’t the President listen to plans for troop redeployment to secure Iraq’s borders from the terrorists pouring in? Why won’t he listen to military leaders who tell him that Al-Qaeda is taking power back in Afghanistan? Why won’t the President listen? Is it ignorance, a skewed reality, or both?

Curt Leng
6th District Councilman

31 Smith Drive, Hamden, CT 06517

203-288-6258