November 25, 2005 - What was the mission on which we sent soldiers to be maimed and die in the cities and deserts of Iraq? Was it to insure that Iraq was not able to threaten its neighbors or indeed the United States with weapons of mass destruction? That mission has been accomplished. That certainly is no arsenal of unconventional weapons in Iraq today, if ever there was outside of fertile imaginations – both in Washington and Baghdad.

Was the mission to enforce the Security Council resolutions directed at Iraqi behavior; to enforce the inspections regime and bring Baathist Iraq into compliance. That mission was accomplished when Baghdad fell. There are no unenforced resolutions left to enforce. That mission has been accomplished as well

Was it to topple the evil dictator who used weapons of mass destruction against his own people; whose regime relied on torture; whose sons committed unspeakable acts of sexual domination in rape rooms? His sons are dead. The tyrant himself was dragged out of his hidey hole and before a court of his countrymen and now stands trial for his life. That mission has been accomplished – mostly. (We don’t want to say much about torture.)

Was it to bring democratic institutions and structures to the Iraqi people? Well they have a Constitution overwhelmingly ratified by a democratic election which was at least as representative and fair as those of Florida or Ohio. The Iraqis have a newly democratic structure which protects the liberties of most Iraqi men. We should recall that in our own country it was 50 years before every white male could vote; a hundred years before every black male could vote; and 150 years before females could participate in national elections. Iraqi women should be patient and take their place two steps behind their husbands. In just three weeks the Iraqis will elect their first representative legislature under the new regime. We have accomplished that mission.

So what is the mission now? When will it be accomplished? What are the conditions of the victory that the President says is on the horizon and the Vice-President says we must achieve before the troops can come home? Is the mission to train Iraqi forces – their army and their police force? That can be accomplished more efficiently in West Texas and the Arizona desert and at much smaller cost than our present deployment.

Or is the mission to serve as convenient targets for Al Qaeda; that we fight them there so that we won’t have to fight them here? The President has suggested that we do that; that if they can bomb us in Baghdad then they won’t go to the time and trouble to blow up Boston. Well, they haven’t hit us at home and almost 2100 of us have been killed in Iraq. That might be a signal that the President’s strategy – occupying Iraq to keep Al Qaeda occupied – is working. It worked for the British right up to the time that the London Underground went up in smoke.

John Murtha says that when serving as targets is the only mission then it is time to bring the troops home. The Republicans shout that we must stay the course. Nobody is telling the American People just where that course is headed or how many soldiers must be chucked overboard on the way. How about a treaty with the new regime signed in Geneva and then the President stage another photo op and declare victory. How about a march up Fifth Avenue for a welcome home ticker tape parade on New Years Day? George can wear a pilot suit and everything.