Speaking the truth

Newly declared Presidential candidate Obama had a moment of candor at a weekend rally in Iowa. Speaking about the Iraq debacle, he told his audience that "We now have spent $400 billion and have seen over 3,000 lives of the bravest young Americans wasted." Today, he is "absolutely apologizing" for asserting that those killed in Iraq died for nothing.

What's to apologize for in that remark? Let's review for a moment (all) the reasons for which these soldiers, sailors and marines were sent to Iraq:

--to find and dispose of Iraq WMD.

--to establish the conditions for a pro-American democratic Iraq.

--to liberate Iraqis from violence and tyranny.

--to draw all the terrorists like a magnet to Iraq so we can kill them all there.

--to knock down a domino of dictatorship that would then sweep away all neighboring despots.

Just how many of these rationales have proved to have any foundation whatsoever? There WERE no WMDs. There were and are no conditions for a pro-American democracy in Iraq. Some Iraqis have been liberated from violence and tyranny, only to turn around and inflict it on others and/or become victims of their murderous sectarian neighbors. In whose universe have all the terrorists been drawn to Iraq and killed? And how many neighboring dictatorships have fallen because we toppled Saddam? Arguably, the most dangerous and hostile dictatorship to the United States--Iran-- has been STRENGTHENED and EMBOLDENED by the Iraq conflict.

So for what good, noble, long-term purpose have our military people died, exactly? They certainly did their duty as best they could, but I don't think there's any question that they died essentially for nothing. In this they join the 58,000 victims of the Vietnam war.

The Senator has nothing to apologize for. He ought to re-direct all indignation aimed at him to the architects of this destructive, useless war.