« Home

It's all about the terror(ists)

Sen. Biden was on Meet the Press this past Sunday. I'd like to highlight this statement that Biden made (h/t Desi)
Biden: We’re not going to just be able to walk away. It will be a disaster. I—when I got back from Iraq a little while ago, I went down to see the president, and I sat with the president, and he kept talking about terrorists. And I said, “Mr. President, if every single al-Qaeda personality, every single al-Qaeda operative or anyone like him tomorrow were blown away, you still have a war, Mr. President. This is well beyond terrorists.” (Emphasis added)

It was good that Biden pointed out Bush's apparent obsession with terrorism. At every opportunity, Bush and others in his administration have sought to give the impression that the Iraqi insurgency is made up only of terrorists. They have continued to do this despite the Pentagon's admission that only a small percentage of the insurgency are foreign fighters. But this was done purposely of course. Because while no one can argue that we must address the threat that terrorism poses; many do not want to see our troops caught in the crossfire of a civil war (which some say is already happening). In order to maintain support for the war effort, Bush has had to make grand generalizations about who the enemy is (and indeed that is how we came to be there in the first place). By conflating any legitimate resistance as acts of terrorism, it gives the administration the excuse it needs to keep 'staying the course'.

Update: See just how focused Bush is (h/t Heretik).

But it's Bush's whole focus.

Post a Comment