The Iraqi Blunder

Now that the Democrats are back in power, or should I say have taken over the Circus called the United States Congress, now is a good time to clear the air on Iraq so we can move forward on this critical issue.

Iraq was a strategic, tactical blunder and political. If anyone can't see this, I don't know what turnip truck dropped you off. The Bush Administration keeps pointing out that America has not been attacked since 9/11.

The fact of the matter is: Al-Qaida has not attacked America because they don't want to or need to. Why should they, when they are achieving their objective in Iraq? Over 3,000 Americans dead, over 20,000 wounded, and some horribly. And...perhaps another 8,000 - 10,000 will be committed to the war effort. If we stay the course without significant policy changes, perhaps 5,000 - 10,000 dead and over 50,000 wounded.

Every dead or wounded American soldier strengthens Al-Qaida and the Jihadist movement. It does not weaken it. The Taliban have not been destroyed or decimated and they are still a significant threat to the peace and stability of Afghanistan. I don't even want to mention the drug problem and others that are still not resolved after 5 years of fighting. To be sure, the training camps are no longer in Afghanistan, they are now in Pakistan.

Why is a Iraq a strategic, tactical and political blunder?

First: It diverted resources and manpower from our primary objective which was, and still is....to kill or capture all those responsible for the horrendous attack on 9/11/2001. As far as I can tell from all the reports I have read, Osama Bin Laden and Al-Qaida are still alive and well.

Second: Attacking Iraq destroyed the broad support we had to retaliate against those that actually attacked us. I don't recall a single 9/11 hijacker being from Iraq. I do recall 15 of them being from Saudi Arabia. The actual attack was carried out by an Al-Qaida cell not by members of Saddam's Republican Guard.

We had the moral authority and the legitimate right to pursue them into Pakistan if need be. Plus, the major industrial nations on planet earth would have been with us (Muslim nations ecluded) and that includes Mexico and Canada. Killing or capturing Bin Laden would have done more to deter Saddam Hussein than our invasion and subsequent occupation of Iraq.