An Iraq timetable: Bush is smart to keep silent

Manchester Union Leader ^ | February 6, 2005 | Editorial

[billorites]

PRESIDENT BUSH is exactly right not to set a deadline for pulling U.S. forces out of Iraq. Announcing a “timetable” for withdrawal would give the terrorists a strategic advantage and undermine our efforts to stabilize the country.

There are two primary arguments being made for setting a timetable. One, presented by opponents of the war, is simply that American troops must pull out as quickly as possible because their presence is oppressive and morally wrong. The other, more sophisticated argument, was made in late January by the British government. It is that the coalition should announce an estimated time of withdrawal to show that we really mean to leave, which would quell fears among Iraqis that we hope to stay forever.

The first argument is wholly defeatist. Pulling out before Iraq’s security forces are prepared to defend against terrorists would doom the new government to failure. Terrorists want Western forces to leave for precisely that reason. They know we are the only defense the nascent Iraqi democracy has. If we leave too early, all that we fought for, and all the lives we lost in the fighting, will have been for naught.

We suspect that some of the people making this argument want us to fail, either out of spite for President Bush or from general disregard for the United States.

The second argument is more realistic, but still does not work. Announcing an estimated date of departure will not halt rumors throughout the Middle East that America’s real goal is long-term occupation. Those who spread that myth will simply call the timetable a lie. And, as President Bush has said many times, setting a departure time will play directly into the terrorists’ hands. It will tell them how long they need to stay underground to wait us out. Their waiting will, in itself, expedite our evacuation, as it will appear that the country is pacified. After we are gone, the rested terrorists can crawl from their holes and wreak havoc.

Furthermore, we really do not know how long it will take to train Iraq’s security forces. Announcing tentative pull-out date, only to extend it later if necessary, will create more rumors that we intend to stay forever. And pulling out before the tentative deadline could be seen by the terrorists as a victory.

The best option is just what the President has chosen. Stay until the job is done, and don’t let the enemy know anything.

[1FASTGLOCK45]

YUP i agree, Dubya has one bright light bulb in his noodle. The Rats hate him because they try to make him out as someone that doesn't know what he's doing, but he comes and bit** slaps them every time :)

[elfman2]

And we might not want to completely remove ourselves or our equipment from a nation sharing a border with Saudi Arabia, Iran and Syria. If something happens, it cuts down our response time from months of negotiations and sea lift to weeks.

[j. earl carter]

These people in the media write as though only the terrorists are a threat to Iraq. The U.S. needs to stay because Iraq has neighbors that are a grave threat.

I suspect Iran, Syria, and Turkey would all like to add to their oil reserves.

[roylene]

A real cut would be the elimination of the National Endowment of the Arts.
Cutting the office of Education in half then fazing it out over three years.
Cutting the office of Health and Human Services in half.
Eliminating Social Security and allowing private non taxable private saving retirement accounts.
Oh yes there is.. more tying congressional salaries to inflation, the salaries would go down in the same proportion as inflation goes up.
Cutting congressional staffing budgets.
and.....