NY Times calls Iraq a 'lost cause'

[ProSense]

NY Times calls Iraq a 'lost cause'

33 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The New York Times on Sunday called for US troops to leave Iraq now, saying that President George W. Bush's plan to stabilize the country through military means was a lost cause.

"It is time for the United States to leave Iraq, without any more delay than the Pentagon needs to organize an orderly exit," the influential daily wrote in a rare, single-issue editorial taking up one-half of an entire news page.

"Like many Americans, we have put off that conclusion, waiting for a sign that President Bush was seriously trying to dig the United States out of the disaster he created by invading Iraq without sufficient cause, in the face of global opposition, and without a plan to stabilize the country afterward."

But it has since emerged, the Times concluded, that Bush has "neither the vision nor the means to do that."

"It is frighteningly clear that Mr. Bush's plan is to stay the course as long as he is president and dump the mess on his successor. Whatever his cause was, it is lost," the daily opined.

"Continuing to sacrifice the lives and limbs of American soldiers is wrong. The war is sapping the strength of the nation's alliances and its military forces ... It is a betrayal of a world that needs the wise application of American power and principles."

The editorial concluded: "This country faces a choice. We can go on allowing Mr. Bush to drag out this war without end or purpose. Or we can insist that American troops are withdrawn as quickly and safely as we can manage -- with as much effort as possible to stop the chaos from spreading."

The article by the influential newspaper -- the latest sign of increasing public restiveness on Iraq -- comes as a growing number of Bush's formerly loyal Republican backers on the Iraq question have defected and begun calling for US troop withdrawal.

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[LynnTheDem]

1. Illegal invasions are ALWAYS a lost cause. Thank God.

They SHOULD always be a lost cause, as they are the WRONG THING TO DO.

"wars of aggression are deemed to be THE SUPREME CRIME"
-Nuremburg Tribunal

[stellanoir]

2. Pre emptive wars based on bogus intelligence (aka sheer stupidity)

tend to be like that.

There is no way we can be an honest broker of anything any longer.

We've blown it on so many levels, from the get go.

It's as though we only wanted to steal their oil and depopulate the region.

That is just plain sick and totally inhumane.

This is bogus and FUBAR.

IMHO.

We are entirely bereft of representative leadership.

Pity that is.

[thereismore]

3. What was the cause again??? nt

[Amonester]

4. O I L

C E O's Retirement Plans

Have's to have more

Have-more's to have even more

Income gap widening

etc.

[ProSense]

5. Kick! n/t

[LaPera]

6. About time! And not a moment too soon.

[ProSense]

7. Cost of war: $12 billion dollars a month (nearly $3 billion per week)

Cost of war: $12 billion dollars a month (nearly $3 billion per week)

[GOTV]

8. "the disaster he created" and that we sold and cheerled....

... the NYTimes wants to blame it all on Bush. HE did it to us!

[malaise]

9. Funny I said that in March 2003

I said Vietnam Version 2.0