What to make of this StratFor report the the White House has quietly backed down from plans to invade Iraq?
The Bush administration has begun to back down from plans for a near-term attack on Iraq. The controversial plan was shredding the coalition against al Qaeda, which Washington needs in battling the group. But the Bush administration’s retreat from Iraq, although necessary, forces it to manage a political and psychological defeat.
First, I don’t agree with StratFor’s conclusion that the plan was either imminent or cancelled. However, StratFor ain’t DEBKA — they have a pretty good track record and deserve to be taken seriously.
Just yesterday, Rumsfeld was on Brit Hume, making the case for war without compromise. And there are many other indications, both public and not-so-public, that US special forces are already engaged in Iraq, as well as preparing for something bigger.
But if StratFor is right, then al Qaeda and Saddam have both won this round — and the world is a more dangerous place for us, not less so.
So let us hope StratFor is either wrong or helping spread disinformation.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member