Advice to Kerry on Exiting Iraq

The New York Times ^ | February 18, 2004 | GEORGE McGOVERN

[Brilliant]

To the Editor:

I am a longtime admirer of Thomas L. Friedman. I disagree, however, with his advice to Senator John Kerry relative to our Army in Iraq, which is summarized in his final line: "We will not run" (column, Feb. 15).

This determination to stand and fight is tempting to political leaders. The trouble with this appeal is that brave young Americans do the bleeding and dying — not the political leaders who committed them to a mistaken war. Terrorists are killing American soldiers in Iraq because our Army is in Iraq. I hope that President Bush, with the help of the United Nations, will find a way to return Iraq to the Iraqis and bring our Army home.

Paradoxically, on the same page as Mr. Friedman's column is a column by Maureen Dowd detailing how Ahmad Chalabi, the convicted criminal Iraqi exile, snowed the neoconservatives in the Bush administration into believing that the American Army could walk into Iraq unopposed and that he would be an ideal replacement for Saddam Hussein.

Replacing Saddam Hussein with Ahmad Chalabi would be comparable to replacing Jack the Ripper with Al Capone. Such a development is not worth risking the death of one additional American.

Thousands of young Americans bled and died in Vietnam to keep a series of political frauds in power in Saigon. Let's not go down that road again, claiming all the while, "We will not run." How about a compromise? Let's walk out of Iraq.

GEORGE MCGOVERN Marco Island, Fla., Feb. 16, 2004 The writer was the Democratic candidate for president in 1972.

[Brilliant]

You can bet that if Kerry is elected, he will cut and run. You can also bet that the minute he's elected, al Qaeda and the Iranians will step up attacks on Americans in the hope of hastening our departure.

[pcx99]

Terrorists are killing American soldiers in Iraq because our Army is in Iraq.

Then they killed American civilians in New York because they were in America?

[tomahawk]

This advice is irrelevant since Kerry won't be President any more than McGovern was.

[sarasota]

Underwhelming.

[Diogenesis]

To whom it does concern,
In America, terrorists killed 3000 Americans per hour.

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PARTIAL LIST OF TERRORIST ACTIONS BY ISLAMIC TERRORISTS

1968 Robert Kennedy assassinated
1972 Munich Olympic Massacure Sep-5,1972 (Black September)
1976 Entebbe Hostage Crisis, June 27, 1976
1979 Iran Hostage Crisis, Nov. 4, 1979 444 days
1979 Grand Mosque Seizure, Nov 20,1979
1981 Assassination of Egyptian President, Oct 6,1981
1982 Assassination of Lebanese Prime Minister, Sept 14, 1982
1983 Bombing of US Embassy in Beirut6, April 18,1983
1983 Bombing of Maring Barricks, Beruit, Oct 23,1983
1984 Hizballah Restaurant Bombing, April 12,1984
1985 Egyptian Airliner Hijacking, Nov 23,1985
1985 Rome Airport murders
1985 TWA Flight 847 hijacked, U.S. Navy diver murdered
1985 Achille Lauro hijacking, Homacidal maniac lived in saddams Iraq
1986 Aircraft Bombing in Greece, March 30, 1986
1988 Pan Am 747 Flight 103 Bombing, Lockerbie, 100's murdered
1988 Berlin Discoteque Bombing, Dec 21,1988
1992 Bombing in Israeli Embassy in Argentina, March 17,1992
1993 Attempted Assassination of Pres. Bush Sr., April 14,1993
1993 First World Trade Center bombing, February 26th, 7 Killed, Hundreds injured, Billions
1994 Air France Hijacking, Dec 24,1994
1995 Attack on US Diplomats in Pakistan, Mar 8,1995
1995 Saudi Military Installation Attack, Nov 13, 1995
1995 Kashmiri Hostage taking, July 4,1995
1996 Khobar Towers attack
1996 Sudanese Missionarys Kidnapping, Aug 17,1996
1996 Paris Subway Explosion, Dec 3,1996
1997 Israeli Shopping Mall Bombing, Sept 4, 1997
1997 Yemeni Kidnappings, Oct 30,1997
1998 Somali Hostage taking crisis, April 15,1998
1998 U.S. Embassy Bombing in Peru, Jan 15, 1998
1998 U.S. Kenya Embassy blown up, 100's murdered
1998 U.S. Tanzania Embassy blown up, 100's murdered
1999 Plot to blow up Space Needle (thwarted)
2000 USS Cole attacked, many U.S. Navy sailors murdered
2000-2003 Intifada against Israel - 100's dead and injured
2000 Manila Bombing, Dec 30,2000
2001 4 Commercial airliners hijacked, 250+ murdered
2001 World Trade Center attacked, 2800+ murdered
2001 Flight 93 murders
2001 Pentagon attacked, 180+ murdered
2002 Reporter Daniel Pearl, kidnapped and murdered
2002 Philippines American missionary, Filipino nurse killed
2002 July 4, El Al attack Los Angeles LAX, several murdered
2002 Bali bombing - 200 dead, 300 injured
2002 Yemen, French Oil Tanker attacked
2002 Marines attacked / murdered in Kuwait
2002 Washington D.C. sniper
2002 Russian Theater attacked, 100+ dead
2002 Nigerian riots against Miss World Pageant, 200 dead, dozens injured
2002 Mombasa Hotel Attacked, 12 dead, dozens injured
2002 Israeli Boeing 757 attacked by missiles, fortunately no one injured
2002 August Hotel bombing in Jakarta, Indonesia. 12 dead, dozens injured.
2003 Rusian concert bombing
2003 Phillipines airport and market bombing
2003 Foiled SAM plot in the USA
2003 UN Baghdad HQ Bombing
2003 Ticrit Mosque Bombing
2003 Neveh Shalom Synagogue Bombing in Istanbul, Turkey

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[SquirrelKing]

McGovern = McLoser

[2banana]

American Army could walk into Iraq unopposed

Pretty damn close to what happened...

[Jaxter]

George McGovern is an idiot. The main problem with the democrats is that they refuse to admit that, as bad as it is, it is still better to lose a few soldiers now in Iraq than to fight this war here in the United States, which is exactly what will happen if President Bush is not allowed to finish the war on terror. People, including many on this forum that are planning on casting a third party, protest vote, need to realize the importantance of this election and winning this war.

[cripplecreek]

I look at it this way.

We removed the Taliban from power, removed Saddam from power, got Lybian cooperation, Pakistani cooperation, some ammends from iran and North Korea. I'm overlooking a lot here, but we did this in under three years with less than 2,000 men lost.

Thats a pretty spectacular accomplishment. It should be one of the central themes of the Bush reelection bid.

[Conspiracy Guy]

If McGovern gives foreign policy advice, will Carter give economic, and hostage negotiation advice. Clinton could advise on staff affairs. I see the Kerry cabinet coming together.

CG

[js1138]

It's true that corruption and organized crime tends to flourish in newly formed governments, but only McGovern coud say with a straight face that this is worse than Saddam. Or Stalin.

[Coop]

A perfect example of why Mr. McGovern is writing rather weak opinion columns rather than Presidential memoirs.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

McGovern is stuck in a timewarp and is unable to see the world through a non-Vietnam prism.

[Brilliant]

True, but also true for Kerry.

[never4get]

...I guess McGovern still does not understand that Americans (for the most part) reject his pacifist ideology. It is truly disturbing that he truly believes the only reason terrorists kill American Soldiers in Iraq is because we are there. If I remember right (I guess he doesn't) there have been many instances around the world where our forces have been attacked and killed by this terrorist scum. This ignorant "Blame America First Crowd" still lives on in some fashion. What a Jack A$$. Perhaps him and Jimmy Carter should get together, hold hands and walk into the sunset together. I for one would never miss them.

[NutmegDevil]

George McGovern may appear as a mild-mannered fellow, but when you hear the bile-engendered words - almost as the young girl in The Exorcist - his nastiness - as a Tourette's flap - spews forth. This letter & during his appearance on our local WABC Monica Crowley radio show last week. Speaking softly, but sheer vile/vindictive coming out of his pen/mouth.

As Dis-elected U.S. Senator Max Cleland (D-GA), he has a just-barely-below-surface (maybe self-loathing?) as do many/many more Democrats for opportunities missed/full potential never quite achieved. Their places in history will be marked with a tremendous, monumental-dimensioned failure as elected officials/politicians. Hatred.

[NTegraT]

Such tripe, pure tripe. They have tried to make us into the bad guys ever since Viet Nam. They tried to do it before the First Gulf War but they were caught by surprise and pre-empted on the non-vietnamization of that war. Now this one unfortunately is being done the same, aided and abetted by the pacifists, media, and our inability to find WMD yet. I'm having trouble adjusting to the fact that 50% of Americans would sell America and our soldiers (particuarly the ones who have given their all) out in order to gain power politically. I'm working at not hating but it's hard.

[Redcoat LI]

"I see the Kerry cabinet coming together."
Don't forget Chief Justice Tedward Kennedy.