After years of often tense relations, India has formally declared war on Pakistan. An internal memo leaked to the press reveals India's intention to use the United States as the designated battlefield for all combat sortes. Said one high ranking India official on the condition of anonymity: "We're fighting them over there so we don't have to fight them over here."
If this were a real headline, if this were actually happening, the people of the United States would go completely nuts. But this is exactly what President Bush is saying to the Iraqi people.
I have had tremendous difficulty wrapping my brain around "We are fighting them over there so we don't have to fight them over here," as well as "If we leave Iraq they will follow us here." Now I know why. These two statements are cruicial to understanding the President's vision for our current and future involvement with Iraq.
As late as today, President Bush has been saying we will not leave Iraq until we have acheived Victory. What does Victory have to do with rebuilding a nation? We are occupiers. How do you emerge victorious over an occupation? The answer is, you don't. The two have nothing in common.
The President is essentially telling the Iraqi people: "I know I said were coming to Iraq to remove Saddam from power, remove the WMD's and transfer control of Iraq back to the people. But we've decided to stay a little while longer, and use your country as a battlefield, so that we don't have to use our own country."
What right does the United States have to use the country of Iraq as the battlefield for our war? Where does the President get off telling the Iraqi people that we'd rather see their towns destroyed and their streets filled with blood than our own? In what world does the President believe the Iraqi people would actually agree with such an idea?
I imagine the Iraqi people would much more prefer it be our towns being blown up and our morgues filled to capacity. I sincerely doubt they enjoy having an American fighting squad that's looking for a fight five doors down from their homes and schools. I'm guessing they're quite tired of being considered collateral damage in our War on Terror. And, it's quite possible they're sitting there thinking "too bad, Mr. Bush. This is your war. It should be your cities under risk of destruction and your people under risk of death. Not ours."
By the President's own admission, our main reason for still being in Iraq is to fight our war on their soil. We are holding Iraq hostage. The United States has no right to do this, anymore than India would have the right to use our country to fight a war against Pakistan. It is wrong; completely, utterly wrong.
I am no longer undecided on when or how to end our involvement in Iraq. Just get out. Get out now. Just do it.