Spring Break
The War is Over and No One is Listening
John Ayers
Issue date: 11/19/08 Section: Opinion
The United States military's five year involvement in Iraq, and the end of an important chapter of America's involvement in the Middle East will be coming to an end. As of last week, the Iraqi Parliament and the United States have agreed to a security pact detailing the draw-down in United States presence in the country. All United States troops will be forced to leave Iraqi cities and towns by June 2009 and the entire country by December 31, 2011. This withdrawal will come regardless of the circumstances on the ground. Even if U.S. commanders say troops should stay, they won't be allowed to by the Iraq government.
So is it a surprise that an agreement has been enacted for a fixed withdrawal by members of the Bush Administration? The announcement came with little fanfare for the president's approval ratings are at historical lows, yet the Bush administration has done exactly what most Democrats and most Americans wanted, set a time to withdraw all U.S. forces from Iraq. Wasn't this a campaign promise made by multiple Democrats during the Democratic nomination?
Admittedly, the Iraq war was swept under the rug when the economy became the bigger issue and Iraq stabilized thanks to the surge. Success in Iraq has been largely ignored, but this is the end of all U.S. military forces in another country and there has been no fanfare.
Where are the cheering crowds of anti-war protesters having secured their goal of getting the troops out? Where are the influential Congressional Democrats congratulating the Bush administration on doing what they could not despite having the majority? They are nowhere to be found. Not even Obama has made note of this event on which his campaign was initially founded. Even the average American doesn't appear to be taking note of this, partly because it is tucked away in the news of the day.
People would rather watch news about a cougar attack than hear about the end of the war and occupation that resulted in the spending of trillions of U.S. dollars and over 3000 lives. The magnitude of this document is overwhelming. There will be no credit for Bush and what this deal accomplishes. There will be no appreciation, nor congratulations, there will be ignorance in its place.
Once December 31, 2011 rolls around we will probably see the Democrats taking credit for pulling the troops out for a deal made by the Bush administration. It would be a shameless ploy, but no one will know that it was the Bush administration that negotiated and agreed to this deal because few will hear about it. It is a pity that no one is taking note of this historic occasion, and we should worry that the right people won't be credited for it. But it shows a greater fear about the situation of American democracy that the people who vote don't know, or care, more about the end of an American war.
So is it a surprise that an agreement has been enacted for a fixed withdrawal by members of the Bush Administration? The announcement came with little fanfare for the president's approval ratings are at historical lows, yet the Bush administration has done exactly what most Democrats and most Americans wanted, set a time to withdraw all U.S. forces from Iraq. Wasn't this a campaign promise made by multiple Democrats during the Democratic nomination?
Admittedly, the Iraq war was swept under the rug when the economy became the bigger issue and Iraq stabilized thanks to the surge. Success in Iraq has been largely ignored, but this is the end of all U.S. military forces in another country and there has been no fanfare.
Where are the cheering crowds of anti-war protesters having secured their goal of getting the troops out? Where are the influential Congressional Democrats congratulating the Bush administration on doing what they could not despite having the majority? They are nowhere to be found. Not even Obama has made note of this event on which his campaign was initially founded. Even the average American doesn't appear to be taking note of this, partly because it is tucked away in the news of the day.
People would rather watch news about a cougar attack than hear about the end of the war and occupation that resulted in the spending of trillions of U.S. dollars and over 3000 lives. The magnitude of this document is overwhelming. There will be no credit for Bush and what this deal accomplishes. There will be no appreciation, nor congratulations, there will be ignorance in its place.
Once December 31, 2011 rolls around we will probably see the Democrats taking credit for pulling the troops out for a deal made by the Bush administration. It would be a shameless ploy, but no one will know that it was the Bush administration that negotiated and agreed to this deal because few will hear about it. It is a pity that no one is taking note of this historic occasion, and we should worry that the right people won't be credited for it. But it shows a greater fear about the situation of American democracy that the people who vote don't know, or care, more about the end of an American war.
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