[Previous entry: "Layton pledges clean government, no deficits"] [Main Index] [Next entry: "RE: CASUALTY BLEG"]

05/25/2004 Archived Entry: "Bush outlines Iraq transition"

Posted by steve @ 12:04 AM EST [Link]

GIVING IRAQ BACK TO THE IRAQIS: Sorry for the utter lack of blogging today. I spent most of Monday reading and frankly couldn't be bothered to turn on the PC for any length of time.

At any rate, Monday night saw the unveiling of Bush's five step plan to turn over the governance of Iraq to Iraqis. The plan itself was hardly revolutionary, merely a obvious list of things that needed to be accomplished: Handing off authority to an interim government, security, infrastructure, international support and national elections. I'm not a big fan of "international support" which is merely a euphemism for the United Nations. That said, nothing really surprising here since pretty well all of this has been hashed out by both the administration and the pundits who prattle continuously about things they have never done. Yes, that includes me.

What I rather liked was the emphasis that Bush placed on staying the course. It was a good signal to America's enemies -- and ostensible allies -- that "no power of the enemy will stop Iraq's progress." It's a message that should be repeated every day until it no longer has to be.

The situation in Iraq is going to play a role in Bush's election this November -- and ultimately how seriously Americans will continue taking the war on terrorism -- and it's absolutely vital that Bush and the rest of his staff are out there every single day repeating that America will not leave until the job is finished and no thugs are going to run them out of Iraq. He should be making a lot more of these speeches to signal to everyone around the world that things are getting better, will continue to do so and Iraq will one day stand above all other nations in the Arab world for being free -- and that not only helps keep America more secure but everyone everywhere.

Read on.