Wednesday, June 01, 2005
Editorial: A president at odds with reality
Iraq, Afghanistan and the terrorist threat all contradict Bush's misleading rhetoric.
From the RoundTable blog
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President Bush first made the claim during the run-up to war, warning of ties between Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden that later proved to be without foundation. On Monday, however, he cited what has become an obviously real terrorist presence as justification for staying the course there. The Bush administration deserves no credit for getting it right. On this and other security issues, its pronouncements dangerously misrepresent the dangers and effects of its policies. Invasion and a badly botched occupation made the prewar hype a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Iraq is not just where terrorism is burgeoning. It is also why.
According to experts such as France's top anti-terrorism judge, al-Qaida is larger, more fragmented and quickly attracting young recruits radicalized by the invasion. "We have a multiplication of all the cells, groups and connections," Jean-Louis Bruguiere, an authority on Islamist militant cells around the world, told BBC Radio.
Such realities rebut Bush's confidence. He proclaimed on Monday that "two terrorist regimes are gone forever, freedom is on the march, and America is more secure." On Tuesday, he said, "I believe the Iraqi government is plenty capable of dealing with [insurgents]."
Meanwhile in Afghanistan, the actual al-Qaida stronghold, Taliban holdouts and warlords threaten the stability of the government that the White House left dangling when it turned to Iraq.
In Iraq, insurgents have killed more than 700 in the past month alone, including public officials, police and soldiers, and confidence in the government is falling. Bombings and assassinations continue to obstruct recon-
struction, oil production and public services such as health care and electricity.
As for U.S. security, the still-undermanned Iraqi venture appears to have increased the threat of terrorism everywhere.
Iraq is integral. Now if only the White House would accept why.
