In the run up to the Iraq war three years ago, both Republicans and Democrats vied with each other to denounce the threat posed by Saddams alleged weapons of mass destruction and his support for the Al Qaeda. Now after destroting a rich and vibrant country, after killing nearly 650,000 Iraqis ans spending huge sums of tax dollars, the US cotizens now know that their president took them to war for totally unwanted and probably self delided reasons. This is not the time nor the place to state that on this issue we have correctly predicted that the US strategy was way off the mark and it will ot work. At last the neocon agenda which had an illegitimate access to political power thanks to the Bush-Cheeny-Rumsfeldt trio has come unstuck and the nation is paying a huge price for the folly of allowing a bunch of illinformed idelogues run amuck. What is to be done?
This November the voters in all probably will throw out the Republicans and usher in the Democrats. This is however predicated on the unlikely possibility that Bin Laden will not come out with his periodic message to the American people. If this happens then the Republicans will be a shoo in. In other words a video appearance of Bin Laden will help the Republicans and one would not be surprised if a few days before the elections we find a new message manufactured for a domestic audience. Havong said the unspeakable me me go on to other issues.
The war in Iraq is already lost and there is no point in shoring up a government that does not command any respect. Al Maliki is regarded a quisling by the Iraqi people and they have utter contempt for him and his ministers who strut around Baghdad with hired American security guards. If the Americans leave Maliki with fall by the time the US ambassador reaches the airport to take a flight out of Iraq. The sectarian division that the US occupation has engendered will lead to a civil war and the intervention of Iran will help shore up the country. The greatest mistake that Bush made was to antagonise Iran and the US is paying a heavy price. It makes little sense to make an enemy of Iran when we know for a fact that Iran commands a following amongst the shiaa population. In fact it is the militia loyal to al Sadr that is creating havoc in Amara province. In Baghdad itself the Americns have reduced theri patrols to the time when it is safe. Nearly 100 troops have been killed in this momnth alone.
Against this bleak background can we say that the Democrats have a plan that will succeed. The truthful answer is that the Democrats will make the job of holdind out in Iraq more difficult and make it impossible for the C-In-C to "stay the course". In all probability the Democrts will insist on a phased withdrawal from Iraq and that is just the message the insurgents are waiting for.In fact Democrats ike Hilary Clinton deserve no sympathy as they have voted for the war and now are making noises against it.
Now even the pro-administration journalists have begun using the "V" word. There is one major difference. There were no major strategic interests of the US in South east Asia and hence a defeat or retreat did not matter. This, however, is not the case in the Near East.