Oh, William, so many “facts”, so little time. To address but a few:
Iran has been emboldened? You mean as opposed to the meek, timid Iran that captured the US embassy and kidnapped members of the diplomatic corp in 1979 holding them captive for over a year?
The Middle East has become destabilized? As opposed to the stability of the Soviet invasion of and 10-year war in Afghanistan, the eight-year Iraq/Iran war, Iraq’s invasion and occupation of Kuwait resulting in the 1991 Gulf War, Saddam Hussein’s attempted genocides of the Kurds and southern Shia, Pakistan’s development of nuclear weapons in the late 80′s, Yasir Arafat’s various and sundry “holy wars” and the rise and entrenchment of terrorist organizations Hezbollah and Hamas? That stability?
Al Qaeda has been strengthened? You mean the same Al Qaeda that had been permitted to grow, develop and become enriched and, yes, emboldened through the Bush I and Clinton administrations? The same Al Qaeda that killed two people in an attempt on American soldiers in Yemen in 1992, six people in an attempt on the World Trade Center in 1993, nearly 300 people in the East Africa embassy bombing in 1998, 17 US servicemen in the attack on the USS Cole in 2000 and nearly 3000 people on September 11, 2001, but has not been able to pull off anything major since? The one that’s lost most of its leadership, most of it’s following, most of it’s support and most of it’s financial backing and currently is getting its ass kicked in Iraq? That Al Qaeda??
Bush invaded Iraq based on lies? You mean the “lies” told in the intelligence reports of agencies around the globe? The “lies” accepted as fact by the likes of the United Nations, President Bill Clinton, Vice President and presidential candidate Al Gore, Senator and future presidential candidate John Kerry, Senator and future presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, Senator and future presidential and vice-presidential candidate John Edwards? The “lies” that persuaded 296 Representatives and 77 Senators to authorize President Bush “to use the Armed Forces of the United States as he determines to be necessary and appropriate in order to (1) defend the national security of the United States against the continuing threat posed by Iraq; and (2) enforce all relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions regarding Iraq?” Those lies?
And if he is misguided, and I’m not necessarily saying he is, at least Robert Gates wants to “figure out a way to develop some leverage” before he sits down with Iran (publicly, that is; you do realize we’ve been “talking” to Iran for quite some time now).
