October 3, 2006
The media are full of stories on the new Bob Woodward book – State of Denial – which purports to reveal infighting and disagreements within the Bush administration over the insurgency in Iraq.
As press secretary Tony Snow said, this book should be called, “They didn’t listen to me.” All of those who spoke to Woodward have a gripe. The war isn’t going well and the reason is the people quoted didn’t get their way. Thanks, guys, for encouraging the enemy. They are taking solace from our division even while captured documents reveal their pessimism about the war.
No war is perfect. The nature of war brings ups and downs. The claim that terrorism would not have grown were we not in Iraq is baloney. Terrorism existed for decades before Iraq. This is a world war that is going to last many, many years, because of its religious nature. We can either fight it and win, or not fight it and lose. If we leave Iraq, terror will get worse and more terrorists will be recruited. There is only one outcome that will help us: victory. Unfortunately, too many are focused on something other than victory.
Cal Thomas is a nationally syndicated columnist based in Washington, D.C.
