The “stay in Iraq” show orchestrated by US president Bush has been a big success. The solemn confidence of general Petraeus has worked wonders. The dignified posture of Ryan Crocker, US ambassador to Iraq, has swayed minds. This is what we find in the US today. The doubt and dithering on Iraq has disappeared. Bush’s confidence and oratorical skills has made his day.
The senate has turned down Senators Levin and Reed’s proposal to set a June, 2008 timetable to call back US troops from Iraq. What Sen. John McCain [Ariz.] a Republican presidential candidate said reflects what the republicans feel about Iraq now. He said,
It is inconceivable that we in Congress would end this strategy just as it is beginning to show real results.
The strategy is Bush’s much hyped ’surge’. Even a majority of Americans seem to be subscribing to this view. A Gallup poll this week that showed 54 percent of those surveyed think Petraeus’ plan for removing troops is right, some even feel the pace is too quick. Americans want troops to remain in Iraq. Some Democrats’ argument that the war in Iraq is taking attention and resources away from the larger global war on terrorism fell on deaf ears.
A second attempt by Democrats to rein in Bush’s Iraq plans failed too. A legislative proposal by Senator Jim Webb of Virginia, to add time between deployments of troops also fell to the wayside. The idea behind this proposal was that US soldiers would get enough rest between deployments. This would prevent fall of morale and erosion of stamina Of the US army.
Democrats are clutching at straws now. They will harp on the fact that the republicans prefer to put Bush first and the US soldier after that. This kind of chipping away is all that anti-Iraq lawmakers can do for now, hoping their time will come.
