There is no Iraq 'Last Chance' unless we quit

Some in the media and some politicians are referring to president Bush’s troop surge plan as a ‘last chance’ to succeed in Iraq. There are two immediate courses that come to mind for the term ‘last chance.’ Either the war will be defunded by Congress or if the troop surge does not work, then all is lost and we bring the troops home.

Congress has two constitutional powers in regards to war: to declare war and to fund a war. We know the congress declared war using the same intelligence information that the president used. They voted to give the president the authority to conduct the war. That is his constitutional duty as Commander in Chief.

Congress may also vote to withhold funding for the war in Iraq as was done in Vietnam. Just like Vietnam, America’s credibility will be destroyed as allies and those who would work with us and for us will, in the future, not trust us. Also as in Vietnam, there will be numerous retribution killings of those who helped us in Iraq. If the war is ended prematurely due to a vote to withhold funds, when these inevitable killings in Iraq occur, many politicians who have the vote of blood on their hands will have to explain their naïve votes.

The Vietnam War was a war by proxy of America vs. the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union was not going to attack us on our shores no matter the outcome of the war.

In this war, there are many nations led by the United States working overtly and covertly on many fronts against terrorists. These terrorists come from many countries and have allegiance only to their perverse form of religion. Unlike in Vietnam, our enemy will follow us to America and attack us here if we withdraw prematurely from Iraq.

Withholding funds for the war in Iraq, thus, is not a viable option.There is no last chance until we quit.

If the troop surge does not work, we try something else. Failure cannot be allowed for similar reasons to what will occur if the war is defunded: massive retribution killings, loss of our credibility, and more terrorist attacks on US soil.

We did not start the war against terrorists, but we will, and must win this war against terror.
Labels: commander in chief, last chance, terrorist attack, troop surge, war against terror