Victory in Iraq is an oxymoron

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld once said: "Death has a tendency to encourage a depressing view of war." It seems he was right.\nAs the U.S. soldier death count continues to climb -- more than 2,100 thus far in Iraq -- some Americans and congressional leaders have continued their plea for President Bush to offer a timetable to withdraw the U.S. military from Iraq. \nIn response to growing tensions on Capitol Hill about Bush's proposed strategy to win the war in Iraq, Bush has embarked on a media campaign to counter protestor pleas to bring the troops home sooner rather than later.\n"As we fight the enemy in Iraq, every man and woman who volunteers to defend our nation deserves an unwavering commitment to the mission, and a clear strategy for victory," Bush said last Wednesday during a speech at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. "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 own citizens and when Iraq is not a safe haven for terrorists to plot new attacks on our nation."\nPresident Bush also referred Americans to his 35-page "National Strategy for Victory in Iraq," located at www.whitehouse.gov, which he said should provide a "clear understanding" of how his administration looks at the war, defines the enemy, defines victory and the steps by which the United States will defeat terror in Iraq.\nAccording to the strategy guide, President Bush's mission to "win the war" in Iraq utilizes an integrated plan along three broad tracks: political, security and economic. \nOn one hand, some Americans are rejoicing at the sound of an articulated strategy for defeating terror, considering the fear of terrorism is an emotion no doubt persisting in the back of many a global citizen's mind. \n"We will take the fight to the terrorists. We will help the Iraqi people lay the foundations of a strong democracy that can govern itself, sustain itself and defend itself," Bush stated. "And by laying the foundations of freedom in Iraq, we will lay the foundation of peace for generations to come."\nThe strategy guide also states that "increasingly robust Iraqi political institutions" are needed to "expose the falsity of enemy propaganda that Iraq is 'under occupation. \nOn the other hand, some Americans are left scratching their heads in utter bewilderment because terrorism can happen at any time, in any city, anywhere around the world and for any reason. And here is where divergent exit strategy opinions collide.\n"The large presence of American troops in Iraq gives credence to the notion of occupation and in fact delays the willingness and ability of Iraqi troops to stand up," Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., said last Thursday during an interview on NBC's "Today" show, according to Associated Press reports. "Until the president really acknowledges that the large presence (of U.S. soldiers in Iraq) is part of the problem, and begins to set a benchmark process for transferring responsibility to the Iraqis, we're going to continue with more of the same."\nMore of the same in Iraq, Bush told the midshipmen Wednesday, involves not permitting al-Qaida "to turn Iraq into what Afghanistan was under the Taliban -- a safe haven for terrorism and a launching pad for attacks on America."\nConsidering the United States has not yet secured Afghanistan from the Taliban, when will the empty rhetoric about winning the war on terror in Iraq cease? President Bush's strategy guide and his recent "Victory in Iraq" speeches have said nothing of how to win the hearts and minds of future would-be terrorists. \nAt least 25,000 to 100,000 Iraqis have died by the hands of their liberators, according to the Pentagon or the Lancet Medical Journal, respectively. Iraq is destined to become a terrorist melting pot unless the next generation of Iraqis are taught lessons of American humanity not involving bombers and military bases. \nVictory in Iraq can only occur if the entire Middle East believes in the democratic process, which will not happen through continued nation building. Unlike America's Cold War with the Soviet Union, containing terrorism and defeating terror is an impossible dream at best if some global citizens continue their willingness to murder themselves and others because of the belief that U.S. foreign policy does not have their best interests in mind.