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White House Makes Choices
George Bush made the choice that is important for himself and for America. He decided not to hurry withdrawing US troops from Iraq, but to try, on the contrary, to lead the war there to victorious end (or, at least, more successful end than now). It means Bush decided to play an all-or-nothing game, choosing the most risky variant. For the cost of a different decision (which seems reasonable to most Americans), to immediately pull out troops from Iraq, is unacceptable for the president. It would mean an overwhelming defeat for Republicans in 2008 presidential elections.
The decision of the 43rd US president coincided in time with the death of the 38th White House master Gerald Ford. After becoming president in 1974, Ford found himself in a situation similar to which George Bush is now facing.
Back then, US troops got bogged down in Vietnam (almost like now in Iraq), and that war was even more unpopular than the current one. Moreover, Ford’s Republicans lost Congress elections to Democrats in autumn 1974 on the wave of strong anti-war sentiments, which sharply limited the president’s opportunities, and diarchy appeared in the country.
Ford’s response was the complete withdrawal of troops from Vietnam, which brought a sad result to him personally. Despite all Ford’s achievements (especially striving towards relaxing US-USSR tensions and establishing good personal relations with Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev), he lost to Democrat Jimmy Carter in 1976.
Apparently, Bush learned from his fellow-Republican successor’s mistakes. Bush administration knew even before its defeat in recent midterms to Congress that Iraq war, lasting for the fourth year already, keeps loosing support among Americans. However, after November elections it became clear that any US politician, who hopes for at least something, cannot anymore afford the luxury of supporting (even if quite moderately) the war in Iraq.
Democrats openly declare they will build their campaign on anti-war sentiments exclusively. Republicans are now tempted to move away from White House’s current foreign policy in Iraq. Thus, the situation is not very promising for Republican administration in 2008 presidential elections.
Keeping in mind Ford’s sad experience, Bush decided not to end war in Iraq, but to change its course. If Americans do not like this war, then another war is needed. And there are many ways to make it a different war.
For instance, additional troops can be sent to Iraq to try suppressing resistance with doubled force. Or, a new war against international terrorism or its accomplices can be invented.
Gennady Sysoev
All the Article in Russian as of Dec. 28, 2006
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