Most people don't know that the decision to remove Saddam Hussein from power in Iraq was made during the Clinton presidency, not the Bush administration. Saddam's removal from power became the official policy of the United States government long before 9/11 and long before George Bush took the oath of office.
I believe that the Democrat Party resolved early to defeat Bush's efforts to bring peace, economic liberty, and a freely elected representative government to the people of Iraq. They could pick up the pieces later, when they came to power. But success must not be achieved on Bush's watch.
Think back to some of the reactions of Middle East leaders to Bush's removal of Saddam from power.
Libyan dictator Muammar al-Qaddafi suddenly became a pussycat, announcing an end to his nuclear programs and playing nice with the West. The House of Saud announced broader voting privileges in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Throughout the Middle East, strongmen and leaders watched events in Iraq with a weary eye.
It didn't take long for the Arab world to recognize that things weren't going all that well for George W. Bush. America was not unified; indeed, there were deep divisionsabout his policies. Democrats were calling for an exit strategy before the smoke cleared from the first attacks.
Within months, the Arab world knew that the American people weren't likely to stick this one out. Day after day they saw attacks on Bush, his secretary of defense, and virtually all aspects of the war.
Day after day the stories on the network newscasts detailed bombings and deaths, even as day after day American troops were lauded by the Iraqi people for building schools and hospitals.
The Islamic fascists watched, and learned.
They knew that if they could just maintain a steady stream of suicide bombings resulting in the deaths of American soldiers, the American people would grow quickly tired and throw in the towel.
It became standard operating practice after Abu Ghraib for any Islamic terrorist being held by coalition forces to scream torture. They knew that the media would pick up the story and run with it, even without any corroborating evidence.
If the Democrat Party hadn't been so hell bent on destroying the Bush presidency--if the Democrats had shown a unified front with their commander in chief and our troops--who's to say that complete victory in Iraq would not have been ours by now?
Neal Boortz
