Mission Accomplished II
by TChris
A "turning point" has finally been reached in Iraq. How do we know? The ever-optimistic president said so yesterday, on the third anniversary of his "Mission Accomplished" speech. Remember "Mission Accomplished"?
It didn't turn out that way.
Violence in Iraq continued instead of ebbed. In the six weeks from the start of the invasion to Bush's speech, 139 U.S. soldiers had died. In the three years since, as of Sunday, there have been another 2,258 U.S. military deaths in Iraq -- an average of 63 each month.
The latest "turning point" may mark a turn from disaster to chaos.
reliable electrical power is scarce, petty corruption is rampant and the government's Interior ministry is blamed for harboring death squads that are helping to drive sectarian violence.
In a frank assessment, the No. 2 U.S. intelligence official, Gen. Michael Hayden, said last week that the war in Iraq currently inspires jihadists, but their failure there would weaken the movement globally. The U.S., he said, must not forget the importance of Iraq.
"The conflict there and -- more importantly -- how it is routinely portrayed in Islamic media continues to cultivate supporters for the global jihadist movement," Hayden told an audience in Texas during a little-noticed speech.
Hayden's reference to the ultimate "failure" of the jihadists may represent wishful thinking, but it is becoming increasingly obvious that the continued presence of U.S. forces in Iraq encourages further violence and assists the recruitment of new insurgents. The mission -- however it might now be defined -- will never be accomplished if the U.S. continues to have a strong military presence in Iraq.
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