Why don't you refer to what Bush actually said in that speech on the USS Abraham Lincoln. He never said "Mission accomplished." That was a banner hung on the ship after a very long deployment. Who hung the sign? Were they Bush operatives or were they the crew themselves? We they referring to the mission of the war in Iraq or the fact that the USS Abraham Lincoln's mission was in fact accomplished?
The words "major hostilies" never appear in Bush's speech, much less "major hostilities are over." He did say this:
We have difficult work to do in Iraq. We are bringing order to parts of that country that remain dangerous. We are pursuing and finding leaders of the old regime, who will be held to account for their crimes. We have begun the search for hidden chemical and biological weapons, and already know of hundreds of sites that will be investigated. We are helping to rebuild Iraq, where the dictator built palaces for himself, instead of hospitals and schools for the people. And we will stand with the new leaders of Iraq as they establish a government of, by, and for the Iraqi people.
The transition from dictatorship to democracy will take time, but it is worth every effort. Our coalition will stay until our work is done. Then we will leave, and we will leave behind a
free Iraq.
He went on to say:
Our mission continues. Al Qaeda is wounded, not destroyed. The scattered cells of the terrorist network still operate in many nations, and we know from daily intelligence that they continue to plot against free people. The proliferation of deadly weapons remains a serious danger. The enemies of freedom are not idle, and neither are we. Our government has taken unprecedented measures to defend the homeland, and we will continue to hunt down the enemy before he can strike.
The war on terror is not over, yet it is not endless. We do not know the day of final victory, but we have seen the turning of the tide. No act of the terrorists will change our purpose, or weaken our resolve, or alter their fate. Their cause is lost. Free nations will press on to victory.
Of course, telling the truth about what Bush actually said would be a stretch for you. You seem psychologically incapable of such an act.
As for your question, "And my question is, that if Iraq (country in Middle East, Muslim, vast oil reserves, Shia, Sunni and Kurdish) isn't a quagmire, what is a quagmire?"
Well, how about places like the former Yugoslav republics where forces have been there for years with no possible end in sight.
Those vast oil reserves belong to the Iraqi people. They represent an enormous resource, and that gives them the potential for a better future now that people like Saddam aren't sucking off billions for their own purposes. Potential, but not certainty. There are few certainties in life.
Current Events » in reply to There you go again.
Yep, there you go again.
The whole thread (23 posts)
- Quagmire
- Quagmire? See Vietnam
- The poll is interesting
- The first two don't make a quagmire, but the encouragement to AQ in item 3 is helping a lot. (n/t)
