Bush mistatement on USS Abraham Lincoln still going strong

By Brent

Remember the words of President Bush on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, "Major Combat Operations In Iraq Have Ended. In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed. And now our coalition is engaged in securing and reconstructing that country." Well, I remember them well, and I have one thing to say to that: "Horsepucky!"

Well, it's almost 5 years later since that nice little blurb came our of W.'s mouth. I would have to say that he was wrong in that statement as well as everything else that this Administration has said about this Iraqi War. Look at the battle going on in Basra right now. The Iraqi government forces are being beaten by the Shiite militias there. We have fighters and bombers now dropping bombs in that city. I would call that a major combat operation. The Iraqi Army has shown that they aren't trustworthy because some units abandoned their positions and joined the militias. And it appears that within a week, that American forces will have to do the heavy fighting in Basra to achieve the objectives that have been put out in the public eye.

Also, the American forces in Iraq are the main force in battles in Sadr City. It is nice to see that Iraqi Army units just staying out of that slum of Baghdad to let the Americans risk life and limb to eliminate "radicals". This is how it is going to be until we leave Iraq and allow the warring factions to have it out. Politics is not going to stop the civil war that will erupt there.

Thanks to the Bush Administration, we have learned that Democracy cannot be forced upon people. They have to want it and be willing to give their lives for it. Otherwise, you get this muddled conflict that has multiple sides that will all be against you. Until the different groups in Iraq have either resolved their differences or eradicated each other, American forces will be in major combat operations and we will not be able to secure the country or do major reconstruction.