BCT Editorial – 5/15/07

This page was last updated on May 15, 2007.

Tough questions; Editorial; Beaver County Times; May 15, 2007.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject editorial.

“Senior Iraqi government officials were in Washington, D.C., last week, trying to drive home the argument that pulling U.S. troops out of Iraq would have dire consequences.”

[RWC] How can that be? I thought the U.S. presence in Iraq was the problem.

“The Associated Press reported their lobbying push targeted Republicans and Democrats alike, but focused primarily on those considered influential on the war debate.

“For instance, Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Barham Saleh met with more than 30 House Republicans and more than a half-dozen senators on Thursday.

“But the Washington front isn’t the only one Iraqi government officials need to reinforce.

“They’re not doing very well on the home front, either.

“McClatchy Newspapers reports supporters of anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr claim they have finished collecting 144 signatures - a majority of the 275-member legislature - on a bill demanding a scheduled withdrawal and an immediate freeze on the number of foreign soldiers in Iraq.

“What happens if the Sadr faction pushes this measure through the legislature? Will the Iraqi government and the Bush administration honor it? And how hard will it be for congressional Republicans to continue their support of President Bush’s policies if a majority of Iraqi lawmakers say they want the United States to leave? How hard will it be for Democrats and Americans who oppose the war to settle for anything less than an immediate pullout of U.S. forces from Iraq?”

[RWC] Regarding the question about whether the “Iraqi government” would honor a withdrawal bill passed by the legislature, I’m not sure I understand. The editorial makes it sound like the legislature and the government are two separate entities. I have to admit I’m not an expert on Iraqi law, but any bill passed by the legislature must also be ratified by the executive branch to become law. A veto can be overturned with a 60% vote of the legislature.

From a U.S. perspective, it shouldn’t matter if you believe leaving is a mistake or not. If the Iraq government passes a law telling us to leave, we should leave. After all, we’re not at war with the Iraq government or the Iraqi people. We’re at war with the terrorists in Iraq.

“You can be sure that these are questions the leaders of both countries hope they never have to answer.”