President Bush says he has no doubts about launching the unpopular war in Iraq despite the "high cost in lives and treasure," arguing that retreat now would embolden Iran and provide al-Qaida with money for weapons of mass destruction to attack the United States…
At least 3,990 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the war in 2003. It has cost taxpayers about $500 billion and estimates of the final tab run far higher. Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph E. Stiglizt and Harvard University public finance expert Linda Bilmes have estimated the eventual cost at $3 trillion when all the expenses, including long-term care for veterans, are calculated…
In his remarks, Bush repeated his oft-stated determination to prosecute the war into the unforeseen future. "The successes we are seeing in Iraq are undeniable, yet some in Washington still call for retreat," the president said. "War critics can no longer credibly argue that we are losing in Iraq, so now they argue the war costs too much. In recent months, we have heard exaggerated estimates of the costs of this war. No one would argue that this war has not come at a high cost in lives and treasure, but those costs are necessary when we consider the cost of a strategic victory for our enemies in Iraq," Bush said…"If we were to allow our enemies to prevail in Iraq, the violence that is now declining would accelerate and Iraq could descend into chaos," Bush said. "Al-Qaida would regain its lost sanctuaries and establish new ones fomenting violence and terror that could spread beyond Iraq’s borders, with serious consequences to the world economy. Out of such chaos in Iraq, the terrorist movement could emerge emboldened with new recruits … new resources … and an even greater determination to dominate the region and harm America," Bush said in his remarks. "An emboldened al-Qaida with access to Iraq’s oil resources could pursue its ambitions to acquire weapons of mass destruction to attack America and other free nations. Iran could be emboldened as well with a renewed determination to develop nuclear weapons and impose its brand of hegemony across the broader Middle East. And our enemies would see an American failure in Iraq as evidence of weakness and lack of resolve"…
Bush said anew that the war was faltering a little more than a year ago, prompting him in January 2007 to order a big troop buildup known as the "surge." "The surge has done more than turn the situation in Iraq around; it has opened the door to a major strategic victory in the broader war on terror," he said. "In Iraq, we are witnessing the first large-scale Arab uprising against Osama bin Laden, his grim ideology, and his terror network. And the significance of this development cannot be overstated ," the president said. "The challenge in the period ahead is to consolidate the gains we have made and seal the extremists’ defeat. We have learned through hard experience what happens when we pull our forces back too fast – the terrorists and extremists step in, fill the vacuum, establish safe havens and use them to spread chaos and carnage."
Very truly and rightly said, the war on Iraq has indeed cost Americans a lot of money. It has even damaged the US economy very badly. When the US economy is badly struggling, there should be some kind of back up plan, instead of wasting manpower over a failed report of weapons of mass destruction.
Bush was asked about how he felt about the war knowing what we know now and he said it was the right thing to do. He also said in the same breath that he sleeps very well at night. Bush surrounds himself with people who tell him what he wants to hear and not with people who tell him what he needs to hear. His presidency has never been about the people of the United States just about himself and his base.
I just had to listen to Bush read that speech [involuntarily][on Fox]. I finally hid in the bathroom. It was his glorification of the soldier’s and civilian’s sacrifices. It sounded like he was talking about a video game.
This nut is crazy!