April 9 marks the one year anniversary of the fall of Baghdad. Earlier this week, Sen. Robert C. Byrd delivered a brief speech on the floor of the United States Senate that criticized President Bush for seeking to increase the number of troops in Iraq.
The commanding general of United States forces in Iraq has sought options to increase the number of American troops in the region. In his controversial remarks, Byrd avowed, "I am not the only one who hears echoes of Vietnam in this development. Surely, the administration recognizes that increasing the U.S. troop presence in Iraq will only suck us deeper, deeper into the maelstrom, into the quicksand of violence."
In response, Republicans in the Congress and spokespersons for the Bush administration have dismissed Byrd's remarks concerning Iraq as faulty comparisons and politically charged rhetoric. However, Byrd's remarks deserve a substantial amount of reflection and consideration since many of his comments are merited.
During the U.S. occupation of Iraq, more than 600 Americans have been killed and over 3,000 have been wounded. The majority of these deaths have been youths - college age individuals who are members of our generation.
As Shiite leaders express further dismay at occupation, Iraq is on the verge of a bloody civil war between moderate and extreme Shiite leaders in addition to civil war between other religious and ethnic groups. Such Iraqi aggression could result in violent uprisings, high casualties and hellish carnage not seen since Vietnam.
The United States should not send more troops into Iraq. The Bush administration must work to develop an exit strategy to get American national guardsmen out of Iraq before we are entangled in a war that cannot be won.
Instead of further angering American allies by escalating unilateral involvement in Iraq, the United States should be seeking to strengthen alliances and build international support. Again is the time for the United States to solicit the support of the international community and ask for the help of the United Nations.
The war in Iraq was based on the political assertions of the commander-in-chief and was fought without regional or international support. This war was based on what is now known was faulty information and exaggerated claims. The United States - one nation before the international community - must seek international assistance in Iraq so that American national guardsmen can be brought home.
America should heed the advice of Byrd. Byrd is a distinguished senator with over 50 years experience in Congress. He was there when the Johnson and Nixon administrations asked to escalate the war in Vietnam on the promise that the soldiers would be "out by Christmas" or out in a few months.
During the turbulent 1960s, Byrd voted with the administration to heighten the war in Vietnam. Now, he admits it was one of the biggest mistakes of his career. Byrd was in the government during Vietnam and he admits that the government made the wrong decisions. Given his experience, the administration should not dismiss his opinions as unpatriotic political rhetoric.
It has been suggested by the Bush administration that any who dare to question the President are unpatriotic and, in fact, are no better than the terrorists themselves. Although such accusations have not stopped Byrd, many younger senators without the political collateral of Byrd have remained silent.
Leaders in government should not be afraid to criticize. Criticism and dissent are what make this nation great. The failure of senators and representatives to speak out runs contrary to all the values that America was founded on.
Byrd went on to say, "The blood of our soldiers is on our hands." Both the Congress and the President are accountable for mounting casualties in the war in Iraq. Given the fact that all the pretexts for going to war were faulty lies and that violence is escalating, now is the time to exit this quagmire of a war.
When Byrd speaks of Iraq echoing the Vietnam War, he means the parallels in a very real context. The total number of soldiers killed is intolerable for the desired ends. The war in Iraq is becoming a war that cannot be won. If the president does not begin withdrawal, America will be bound to Iraq for longer than desired. If we commit more troops to the Iraqi region, there will be no immediate exit from this nightmare.
The administration has erred in its judgments about Iraq and does not understand the serious consequences that further escalation of a war will entail. If the U.S. is going to escalate the war, the president must at least take into account the concerns of the minority. To dismiss the opinions of the minority is undemocratic and inappropriate.
The president must seek the approval of the Congress before sending more American soldiers to the front lines. Debate, discussion and criticism are most needed in times of crisis.
Some may argue that the president already has the approval of Congress through House Joint Resolution 114. However, the passage of this resolution was the result of manipulated facts and faulty information. Therefore, congressional approval of an escalation is not just a recommendation; it is a constitutional requirement.
Byrd has always been fond of poetry and has quoted Tennyson on many occasions concerning Iraq. Perhaps, Tennyson's "Charge of the Light Brigade" is most appropriate as it reads:
Was there a man dismay'd?
No tho' the soldier knew
Someone had blundered:
Their's not to make reply,
Their's not to reason why,
Their's but to do and die.
Over one year of war and the death of over 600 soldiers - youths - were not what America asked for. Tennyson was right, someone has blundered. The president has blundered and those remaining silent in Congress have blundered.
With political blunders, members of our generation were forced to ride into war at the order of their commander-in-chief. It is now the job of the public and the Congress to reason why. America must end its charge, before the battle echoes of Vietnam.
Sources:
http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/04/07/congress.iraq.ap/index.html www.fednet.net
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