Bush remains defiant, vowing to
hold fast against the terroristic hordes.
Speaking nearly six months after he declared major combat operations to have ended in the wartorn country, Bush denied that he was surprised at the continuing level of violence.
"It is dangerous in Iraq because there are some who believe that we are soft, that the will of the United States can be shaken by suiciders," he said.
Still, Bush added, "The world is safer today because Saddam Hussein and the Taliban are gone...Reconstruction is difficult and freedom still has its enemies in both of those countries.
"Freedom has its enemies." As political rhetoric, that simple phrase is brilliant. As reality, it's a complete joke.
Meanwhile, the resistance staged another suicide bombing, this time at a Fallujah police station, it
killed another US soldier and wounded at least six others, it gunned down Baghdad's deputy mayor, and wounded at least one Brit in an attack in Basra.
Apparently, all good news since every new attack is further evidence of our wonderful successes. Those freedom-hating terrorists are increasingly desperate.
Or something like that...
For the record, guerilla attacks against military or infrastructure are not "terrorist" attacks. No more so than the US invasion and destruction of bridges, power stations, etc., were "terrorist" in nature. Those are legitimate targets in wartime.
On the other hand, attacks on relief or humanitarian agencies (like the UN and Red Cross HQ bombings) and killings specifically targeting non-combatant civilians are "terrorist" attacks.
In Iraq, we're seeing both. Perhaps from different groups, or perhaps all part of a coordinated wider strategy to make the occupation as painful as possible. In any case, I mention this only because it infuriates me to hear another boneheaded US general or administration official denouncing "terrorist attacks" on our forces or coalition facilities. And using politically inflammatory language won't help calm the situation on the ground.