NOTE TO DU MODS: The "article" is a paragraph long, introducing the text of Ed Koch's newsletter, which I do not believe falls under the "four paragraph" rule for "copyright material." As such, I've posted Koch's full text.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/thenation/20050627/cm_thenation/73949Ed Koch has always said what's on his mind--as New York's Mayor and during his many years in Congress. If you want a sense of how public opinion is shifting against the war, read Koch's recent commentary calling on Bush " to declare victory in Iraq and to exit honorably." (This statement appeared in Koch's personal newsletter, which he sends out to a small group once or twice a week.) Koch has been a vocal Bush supporter.
June 21, 2005
The tide of public feeling against the war in Iraq isrising as casualties increase. On June 16, The New York Timesreported, "In a recent Gallup poll, 6 in 10 Americans who respondedsaid the United States should withdraw all or some of its troops fromIraq." In May of this year, 80 soldiers have been killed and 551injured. Since the first day of the war in March 2003, 1,719 militarypersonnel have died and 12,896 have been injured.
Just as members of Congress did during the latter years ofthe Vietnam War, they are now forming small caucuses advocatingdifferent approaches to expedite the withdrawal of American troopsfrom Iraq. The Judiciary Committee reported out a bill to the floorof the House of Representatives which includes an amendment proposedby Congressman Joe Crowley of Queens, New York, who is on thecommittee. While not fixing a withdrawal date, he requested that theBush administration devise an exit strategy. An administrationspokesperson responded with the now standard response that "the bestway to honor the service and sacrifice of our men and women in uniformis to complete the mission."
Other congressmen have proposed that President Bushannounce by the end of 2005 a plan for withdrawal from Iraq that wouldbegin by October 1, 2006. Included in that group are Walter Jones(R-NC), Ron Paul (R-TX), Neil Abercrombie (D-HI), and formerdemocratic presidential candidate, Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio).
A generation ago, I was a congressman during the VietnamWar which I opposed. I introduced a resolution stating that whethermembers of congress were for or against that war, we acknowledge thewar could not be won and that we should bring home our troops toreduce American casualties. That resolution was never voted on.Ultimately President Nixon ended the war in 1975 in a way that willforever be remembered as a defeat for the U.S. and a victory for NorthVietnam. All will recall the images of the helicopters taking offfrom the embassy roof fleeing Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City).
I believe the time has come for the U.S. to declarevictory in Iraq and to exit honorably, having achieved our originalgoals. We have defeated Saddam Hussein on the battlefield, ending hisability to wage war against his neighbors or against the U.S., eitherby the use of conventional weapons or weapons of mass destruction.
We also have facilitated the establishment of an interimIraqi government recognized by the United Nations. That reconstitutedgovernment recently held a hotly-contested, democratically-conductedelection which produced an independent government that has the powerto direct U.S. forces to leave. Instead, it asked the U.S. to stayand use its military personnel against the insurrection andterrorism.
The vast majority of U.N. member states continue to refuseto dedicate troops to assist the new Iraqi government and the U.S. intheir efforts to defeat the insurgents and terrorists. The troopsraised by the democratically elected Iraqi government currently number165,000, while the insurgents and terrorists are thought to numberbetween 12,000 and 20,000. When Saddam Hussein was in power, his armynumbered over one million.
Foreign soldiers and terrorists, many from SaudiArabia,have used the Syrian border as an entry point into Iraq.Present military efforts tostop them, using the combined forces ofthe Iraqi and American military units, have been described by U.S.forces as successful to date. However, American military observershave noted that while the Iraqi and American forces are able to takeand hold areas at the Syrian border and elsewhere in Iraq, when theyleave to quell the violence in other cities, insufficient forcesremain to maintain control of the recently-pacified areas.
The United Nations has authorized American militarypersonnel to remain in Iraq until August 2005, with the expectationthat such authorization will be extended. However, the U.N. has notauthorized or directed member states to assist the U.S. and GreatBritain with military personnel in Iraq itself. This isunacceptable. We should have the assistance of other U.N. memberslike Germany, France, et. al.
Having accomplished our original goals, we should advisethe U.N. and Iraq that we will begin withdrawing our troops in August2005 and will be out of the country by the end of this year. Weshould also advise the U.N. that we are prepared to stay in Iraq,provided the Security Council creates a U.N. security force comprisedof troops on a proportionate basis from every member of the U.N.Security Council to support the Iraqi Army with boots on the groundbeginning in August 2005. It should further direct that U.N. memberstates will proportionately provide the Iraqi government with moniesneeded to rebuild the country.
In addition, Iraq's neighbors should also be required to provide troops and funds, whether or not they are members of theSecurity Council. The New York Times reported on June 19 that "Theleading countries of origin (of the foreign fighters) are SaudiArabia, Syria, Egypt, Jordan and Sudan." Those countries have a stakein a peaceful resolution of the conflict over rebuilding Iraq andsupporting its newly elected government.
The American people have been willing to bear their shareof blood and money to fight international terrorism in Iraq andelsewhere. Our casualties to date establish our bona fides. However,the American public is not willing to continue that ongoing battle andsuffer ever mounting casualties without the aid of those who have alsoreceived the benefit of our actions. I support the war in Iraq andthe larger war against the Jihadists who use terrorism around theworld to achieve their goals. But I do not believe that we shouldremain in Iraq unless others who have a responsibility to do so stepup and contribute their fair share to the war effort.
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