Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Barry R. McCaffrey - Who to blame?

Barry R. McCaffrey in the Washington Post: "If we cannot generate the political will to take this action, it is time to pull out and search for those we will hold responsible in Congress and the administration."

McCaffrey, a retired General and network news consultant, is deeply knowledgeable, at least by pundit standards, about the political and military situation in Iraq. But, he has always been one of those pushing a narrative line, which places the blame for losing in Iraq, on those, who opposed the war from the outset, and those, who would have the U.S. withdraw from the ensuing catastrophe.

So, I wonder about this concluding sentence from his op-ed in today's Washington Post. Is this going to be like OJ's search for the real killer?

I think we know who is responsible for the Iraq War. One man chose this war, and chose how it would be fought. Chose.

Not for any good reason he has ever given. But, this was a war of choice. And, the choice was made by a single individual, given the authority to do so.

Choosing to go to war, arguably qualifies as "aggressive war" under the Nuremberg precedents. If we had even half the honor and decency as a country that our blowhard patriots claim, we would try George W. Bush for this and other war crimes, including torture of prisoners.

But, we won't. A blowjob can get a President impeached, but not war crimes.

The great political storm is finally underway, but it will have its limits, and that is a great pity.

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