Bush says some funny stuff today.
The security of our country is directly linked to the liberty of the Iraqi people -- and we will settle for nothing less than victory. Victory will come when the terrorists and Saddamists can no longer threaten Iraq's democracy, when the Iraqi security forces can provide for the safety of their citizens on their own, and when Iraq is not a safe haven for terrorists to plot new attacks against our nation. There will be more days of sacrifice and tough fighting before the victory is achieved. Yet by helping the Iraqis defeat the terrorists in their land, we bring greater security to our own.
Analysis on the flip...
Can anyone show exactly how the security of the US is linked to Iraqi liberty? Oh, that's right. We need their oil, and without that oil, we can't deliver our food. So our security plans boil down to stealing resources from a weak country and blaming the ensuing mess on their terrorists and their evil dictator.
Bush claims that "victory" can only happen after several conditions are met. Notice how anyone can reasonably argue that none of these is achievable:
- When terrorists/Saddamist can't threaten Iraq. How can you ever get rid of opposition? You might as well say we'll have victory when there's no more crime.
- When Iraqi security forces can protect their own. Again, how do you qualify this? Bush never gives any specifics--how many police trained, how many troops, how many arrests, how many crimes...
- When Iraq isn't a "safe haven"...
Bush is brilliant. He completely alludes to a Saddam and 9/11 connection: "...when Iraq is not a safe haven for terrorists to plot new attacks against our nation." By using the word "new" he implies that Saddam was responsible for the "old" attack, aka 9/11. But because he didn't explicitly say Saddam was responsible for 9/11, Bush can say later in the same speech:
I don't think we ever said -- at least I know I didn't say that there was a direct connection between September the 11th and Saddam Hussein.
Nope, Bush, you never said it directly, but you sure did hint at it.