Get these tidbits (from Times Online "The world is a better place for the Iraq War, says President Bush. " excerpts indented):
In a bullish speech at the Pentagon, in which he repeatedly linked the conflict in Iraq with the worldwide war against Islamist terror, Mr Bush said any rapid drawing down of troops would risk emboldened terrorists launching a "repeat" of the September 11 attacks.
In fact, nations that cooperated with the US in any major way have since we entered Afghanistan and later Iraq have been on the end of their own major terrorist attacks, not after they withdrew, but while they were fully engaged in the conflict.
Need we name some names?
Of course, 911 had the most to do with the basic incompetence of the Bush administration as they took the government's focus away from protecting Americans from terrorism to getting tax cuts and other goodies to fat cats and big business. In fact Condi Rice cut counterterrorism posts by 2/3rds to favor the Bush administration's eagerness to find money to throw at the rich campaign contributors that got them into office.
BTW, I believe myself that Afghanistan was a necessary war to remove leaders. Like with Iraq it was handled poorly in some ways even from the first, but the major problem that arose was that the Bush administration decided not to 'get' bin Laden when they had him holed up in Tora Bora.
He also claimed that the surge into Iraq, launched last year, had been a success in reducing attacks against US troops, restoring order, and opening the door to "a major strategic victory in the broader war" on extremism.
As shown before the relative lower levels of violence in Iraq since the "surge" have been shown to be due a lot to other factors.
Speaking to an audience of military chiefs, Mr Bush admitted that the invasion had come at a cost, with 3,988 casualties of US troops since the war began. He conceded that it was "understandable" that people wanted to debate "whether the fight is worth winning". But he added: “The answers are clear to me: Removing Saddam Hussein from power was the right decision, and this is a fight America can and must win."
Notice that Bush is patting himself on the back in front of groups that can't or won't boo him these days. Military chiefs, recipients of faith based charity bribes er money.
Of course we must "win" in Bush's mind. The Big Oil companies financed two runs for presidency for him off their inflated prices ( and really inflated now). They expect to get Iraqi oil at cheap cost for all the dying our troops have done for them. Now that Americans are getting used to paying over $3 a gallon for the finished product, Big Oil (if they can only continue under a complacent presidency like Bush 2 -- er McCain -- Big Oil will literally be able to rule the world, buying low and selling high.
In further reference to critics of the war, he said: "No one would argue that this war has not come at a high cost in lives and treasure, but those costs are necessary when we consider the cost of a strategic victory for our enemies in Iraq.
"If we were to allow our enemies to prevail in Iraq, the violence that is now declining would accelerate – and Iraq could descend into chaos. Al-Qaida would regain its lost sanctuaries and establish new ones – fomenting violence and terror that could spread beyond Iraq's borders, with serious consequences to the world economy."
Hey, Dummy none of this was true before you invaded and totally screwed up th occupation to fulfill the dreams of your hyper right wing campaign contributors trying to force the Iraqi people into a mold of a trapped working class whose purpose was to become cheap labor for your fat cat buddies while paying handsomely with whatever they would receive on their end for their oil. You want to win? Well the Iraq Study Group said the surge wasn't necessary.
And, as we have seen, the surge has not achieved its stated end to "allow" the Maliki government to enact laws that make sure all people of Iraq are treated fairly and the people kept securely while the troops leave. Instead the surge has allowed the Maliki government to sit on their thrones in wealth and comfort feasting off the poverty of their people and the struggle of the American taxpayer to make ends meet.
Repeat repeat repeat. Catapult that propaganda:
In another reference to the wider battle against worldwide terror, Mr Bush said any substantial withdrawal would be viewed by enemies of the US as a retreat, leading to a possible repeat of the September 11, 2001, attacks.
"Enemies would see an American failure in Iraq as evidence of weakness and a lack of resolve," he said. "To allow this to happen would be to ignore the lessons of September 11, and make it more likely that America would see a repeat of the attack."
See unnumbered list above. You can add the London-Glascow attempts too that list too, though they didn't kill anyone outside one of the perps. The liquid on airliners attempt was also put down. Well, at least the Brits can learn their lesson.
BTW, even years ago, the Army itself reported that flubbing the job in Afghanistan because of the desire to get the Iraqi oil fields for Big Oil allowed the massive problems to develop in that nation.
Analysts have also noted that al Qaeda training camps are back, this time in Pakistan, but we can't open a third front. We can barely handle the two we have now.
Thanks Bushy, for being a sell out. The basis of your incompetency is your selling out. You didn't go into Iraq to free the people, but to free their oil for American Big Oil and to turn their people into serfs for other big multinational companies. And that has made all the difference. That is what created the incompetency. That is why you can't give up on the idea of securing the oil through the surge that is killing our troops and draining the life out of the American economy, even when the Iraq Study Group showed you an alternative.
See post "Can the Surge Hold? Should it?"