Haltickling
2nd Level Green Feather
- Joined
- Apr 3, 2001
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This is from the International Herald Tribune, but it seems the original source is the New York Times (3/1/03):
Bush's Nation Building
President George W. Bush sketched an expansive vision Wednesday night of what he expects to accomplish by a war in Iraq. Instead of focusing on eliminating weapons of mass destruction, or reducing the threat of terror to the United States, Bush talked about establishing a "free and peaceful Iraq" that would serve as a "dramatic and inspiring example" to the entire Arab and Muslim world, provide a stabilizing influence in the Middle East and even help end the Arab-Israeli conflict.
.
The idea of turning Iraq into a model democracy in the Arab world is one some members of the administration have been discussing for a long time. But it is not one that Bush has devoted much effort to selling to the American people. Most Americans would certainly rally around the idea of a strong, stable and open government in Iraq. But they haven't been prepared for the cost of such an undertaking. For most people, the vision of a new Gulf War is one of relatively quick victory, not years of American occupation.
.
In a speech to the American Enterprise Institute, the president described an undertaking that resembled American efforts in post-World War II Japan and Germany. This week General Eric Shinseki, the army chief of staff, said he believed that hundreds of thousands of soldiers would have to remain on Iraqi soil to create a stable environment for democratic change. Bush, a man who ran for office scoffing at the idea of "nation-building," is now betting his presidency on that idea.
.
In his eagerness to get both American and international support for an invasion of Iraq, Bush seemed to be piling everything onto this single cart. While many Europeans and Arabs have urged that the president make solving the Arab-Israeli conflict his first priority for the region, Bush said Wednesday night that getting rid of Saddam Hussein was the key to peace between Israel and its neighbors.
.
The United States is supposed to be working with the United Nations, the European Union and Russia on a "road map" toward a comprehensive settlement that would lead to creation of a separate Palestinian state by 2005. Britain's embattled prime minister, Tony Blair, has been urging Bush to talk more about that map, and Wednesday night the president said that he remained committed to it. But it seemed little more than lip service. Instead the president put Iraq in the center of the picture, arguing that success there would deprive Palestinian terrorists of critical support and provide the Palestinian people with an inspiration for establishing their own democratic institutions.
.
It is true that Saddam Hussein has encouraged terrorism in Israel by paying rewards to the families of suicide bombers. But neither Saddam's political nor financial support has been the critical factor in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It would have been more useful last night if the president had fleshed out his vision of a new Middle East by describing that "road map" in detail and committing the administration to work on it now. Even under the best of circumstances, the situation in Iraq is likely to be chaotic for years to come. Neither the Israelis nor the Palestinians should have to wait for peace until it is settled.
Bush's Nation Building
President George W. Bush sketched an expansive vision Wednesday night of what he expects to accomplish by a war in Iraq. Instead of focusing on eliminating weapons of mass destruction, or reducing the threat of terror to the United States, Bush talked about establishing a "free and peaceful Iraq" that would serve as a "dramatic and inspiring example" to the entire Arab and Muslim world, provide a stabilizing influence in the Middle East and even help end the Arab-Israeli conflict.
.
The idea of turning Iraq into a model democracy in the Arab world is one some members of the administration have been discussing for a long time. But it is not one that Bush has devoted much effort to selling to the American people. Most Americans would certainly rally around the idea of a strong, stable and open government in Iraq. But they haven't been prepared for the cost of such an undertaking. For most people, the vision of a new Gulf War is one of relatively quick victory, not years of American occupation.
.
In a speech to the American Enterprise Institute, the president described an undertaking that resembled American efforts in post-World War II Japan and Germany. This week General Eric Shinseki, the army chief of staff, said he believed that hundreds of thousands of soldiers would have to remain on Iraqi soil to create a stable environment for democratic change. Bush, a man who ran for office scoffing at the idea of "nation-building," is now betting his presidency on that idea.
.
In his eagerness to get both American and international support for an invasion of Iraq, Bush seemed to be piling everything onto this single cart. While many Europeans and Arabs have urged that the president make solving the Arab-Israeli conflict his first priority for the region, Bush said Wednesday night that getting rid of Saddam Hussein was the key to peace between Israel and its neighbors.
.
The United States is supposed to be working with the United Nations, the European Union and Russia on a "road map" toward a comprehensive settlement that would lead to creation of a separate Palestinian state by 2005. Britain's embattled prime minister, Tony Blair, has been urging Bush to talk more about that map, and Wednesday night the president said that he remained committed to it. But it seemed little more than lip service. Instead the president put Iraq in the center of the picture, arguing that success there would deprive Palestinian terrorists of critical support and provide the Palestinian people with an inspiration for establishing their own democratic institutions.
.
It is true that Saddam Hussein has encouraged terrorism in Israel by paying rewards to the families of suicide bombers. But neither Saddam's political nor financial support has been the critical factor in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It would have been more useful last night if the president had fleshed out his vision of a new Middle East by describing that "road map" in detail and committing the administration to work on it now. Even under the best of circumstances, the situation in Iraq is likely to be chaotic for years to come. Neither the Israelis nor the Palestinians should have to wait for peace until it is settled.
