Over the past four years, more than 3,200 American troops have died and over 24,000 have been wounded in Iraq.
For many Iraqis, merely venturing outside of their homes amounts to risking their lives. No one knows exactly how many Iraqi civilians have died, but various studies place the number over 100,000. Aside from the human toll of the war, many Iraqis still go without electricity, adequate health care or steady jobs.
Clearly, staying the course in Iraq is unacceptable.
Nevertheless, President Bush would rather play a game of political chicken than work with Congress to find the best solution to problems that mean life and death for so many people.
On Tuesday, the president promised to veto any bill from Congress that ties funding for the war to setting a timetable for withdrawal of troops from Iraq.
In addition to this veto threat, he hopes that he can scare Democrats in Congress from sending him such a bill by telling Americans half-truths about such legislation’s consequences.
From the serenity of the White House Rose Garden, Bush huffed and puffed that the Democrats’ bill would bring forth the issue of withdrawal before American troops have a chance to turn the bloodbath around.
The president can pretend as much as he wants that the recent surge in troops will make Iraq safer, but putting more Americans on the ground will never be enough to quell the insurgency.
As long as Iraqis have no electricity, no adequate health care and no jobs, insurgent groups will find plenty of impressionable young men willing to attack American troops and Iraqi civilians.
Bush also complained that signing such a bill would embolden the U.S.’s enemies abroad. However, the truth is that the war itself encourages the foes of the United States.
With U.S. troops tied down in Iraq, rogue states such as Iran and North Korea feel free to pursue nuclear programs regardless of what other nations think.
Meanwhile, the Arab world’s reaction to the war has given al-Qaeda a new generation of angry young men to tap for recruitment.
Contrary to the president’s harsh rhetoric, Democrats in Congress are actually working in accordance with the nation’s interests and the will of its people.
Setting a timetable for withdrawal will lend focus to the U.S.’s goals in Iraq and possibly help cool the public’s growing impatience.
Most importantly, a timetable will send a strong and clear signal that the United States will not maintain an open-ended commitment to Iraq. It would be ludicrous and immoral to send American troops to fight a war with no end in sight.
Our brave servicemen and servicewomen deserve better from our leaders in Washington. Every day, without question or hesitation, American soldiers offer up their lives in service to their country.
The least politicians can do for them is value that commitment by making the goals of the mission clear and only putting soldiers in harm’s way when it is absolutely necessary.
Whatley is a third-year political science student and media relations director for Bruin Democrats.