Bush Administration Losing Iraq

American Progress Action

Bush Administration Losing Iraq

September 15, 2004

The mounting security failures in Iraq are sobering: more than 1,000 Americans killed; more than 7,000 wounded; U.S. forces attacked nearly 90 times a day – a two-fold increase since last winter; a quadrupling of insurgent forces in the past year; new al Qaeda terrorists generated worldwide; and $145 billion in costs that have failed to stop the insurgency and begin real reconstruction efforts. The Iraq war was a strategic blunder of the first order that leaves us more vulnerable to attack and less secure from global terrorism.

* The undeniable benefit of capturing Saddam Hussein has come at an unacceptable cost to U.S. military forces and security. Saddam may be behind bars, but U.S. forces and intelligence assets are now bogged down in Iraq fighting nationalist insurgents and scores of new terrorists. Four months before scheduled Iraqi elections, the administration has been forced to admit that it is unable to secure large areas of Iraq that will be crucial to conducting free and fair national elections.

* The Iraq diversion has allowed Iran and North Korea to further develop their nuclear capabilities. Both Iran and North Korea have taken full advantage of our diversion in Iraq to accelerate their efforts to acquire and deploy nuclear weapons. And the unwillingness of the Bush administration to seriously engage both nations has created new risks and increased global proliferation dangers. The New York Times recently reported that Iran is only one year away from having a nuclear weapon and North Korea has likely quadrupled the number of its nuclear weapons since 9/11.

* President Bush must tell the American people the truth about Iraq. No weapons of mass destruction. No Saddam-al Qaeda connection. The mission is not accomplished. The transition has not been peaceful and stable. Attacks on troops are increasing not decreasing. Terrorist opportunities are growing not abating. These failures belong solely to the president and he owes the public a clear and truthful explanation for his actions.