Republican Presidential hopeful Senator Hagel of Utah, much to the chagrin of his constituency, has called for the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq.
"We should start figuring out how we get out of there," Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska said on ABC's This Week. "Our involvement there has destabilized the Middle East. And the longer we stay there, I think the further destabilization will occur."
Apparently the point of Iraq is lost on the Senator: the intention was to destabalize the Middle East because the status quo wasn't working. It wasn't beneficial to Arabs, it wasn't beneficial for Palestinian-Israeli peace, and it wasn't beneficial for America.
The only people the past "stable" condition of the Middle East was beneficial for was the despotic Arab leaders and, of course, Jihadists. Which is why both groups are attempting to project the dreaded "Vietnam" meme along with their allies is the American Far Left. Al Qaeda itself is trying to win the war the Jane Fonda way as AIM points out
When Al Qaeda's second in command warned the U.S. of "horrors worse than the war in Vietnam" in a video airing on August 4, Ayman al-Zawahiri was counting on the U.S. and international media to continue emphasizing the carnage and destruction in the Iraq war caused by fanatical Islamic suicide terrorists.
Zawahiri's reference to Vietnam was significant. The U.S. won all the battles in Vietnam but lost the war, primarily because the U.S. media, led by then-CBS Evening News anchorman Walter Cronkite, turned against the effort to keep South Vietnam free of communism and convinced the public it was a losing cause. Liberals in Congress then voted to terminate funding for the war.
Senator Hagel's quote was picked up by media industry mag Editor & Publisher
editor Greg Mitchell and used to justify a position where the he calls on the nation's newspapers to
consider using their editorial pages as platforms to help get us out of [the Iraq War]. So far, few have done much more than wring their hands, or simply criticize the conduct of the war, or the lack of body armor for our troops.
Gee, I thought they were doing that already. But it is interesting to see the media come out of the closet in such a forceful way.
The argument I've made is akin to Hagel's: While many claim that exiting will only make matters worse, the United States' presence is more of a long-term problem than a long-term solution, for both that country, and our own. Now, with Iraq moving toward a decentralized, pro-Iranian state, even some of my friends at conservative blogs and Web sites are shifting course, declaring that no American GIs should die for an Islamic nation.
I agree with Mr Mitchell's title for theis piece "Tipping Point" and that's just about all. We are at a tipping point in Iraq. It could go either way.
And withdrawing from Iraq would likely tip things the wrong way.
There is no doubt that the new Iraqi Constitution is the most liberal political document in the Middle East. But beyond that, cutting and running before we knew the outcome of the situation would send a signal of weakness.
At the moment it is the sense of strength and resove that is keeping Libya on the path.
It is the sense of strength and resolve that is keeping Lebanon free from Syria. If we left Iraq now, what would prevent Syria from reoccupying Lebanon?
Nothing.
Yes, Mr Hagel and Mr Mitchell, the US presence in Iraq is destabalizing the Middle East.
But destabalization is the only hope for a free and rational Middle East.
Meanwhile the American Far Left, the media (redundant?) and Muslim Islamists call for Jihad.
And it appears Sen Hagel has joined them.
Correction: A reader points out my glaring mistake. Sen Hagel is from Nebraska, not Utah. I knew that, but Utah is easier to type....
Either that or I'm getting old.
(You're getting old)
