Posted on 11/09/2004 6:34:50 AM PST by OESY
...In the heat of the U.S. campaign, people with limited access to the facts -- that is to say adherents to certain TV and print news outlets -- may have gotten the impression that Mr. Bush's had alienated nine-tenths of the inhabitants of the planet with his proactive style. Actually, his international opposition, aside from Saddam Hussein and Kim Jong Il, consisted mostly of the acolytes of French President Jacques Chirac. Now that the American people have spoken, Mr. Chirac, who never had as many friends as he was credited with, is looking all the more lonely. Even the Germans, who backed his opposition to the invasion of Iraq, now want it known that they consider the U.S. to be among their best friends. Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder last week said that he spent an hour on the telephone with Mr. Bush when he called with his congratulations.
Mr. Chirac drew mostly yawns at a European Union summit last week when he repeated once more his tired Gaullist theme that America is Europe's enemy in some vague sense. "It is evident that Europe, more than ever, must strengthen its unity and dynamism when faced with this great world power," said the Frenchman, who chose a fax rather than a phone call to send Washington his good wishes.
But Mr. Chirac is now, more clearly than ever before, the odd man out in Europe. The fact that he is not on very good terms with his own voters demonstrates that his 2003 ploy of whipping up anti-Americanism had a very short half-life. By contrast, ...John Howard... Manmohan Singh... Junichiro Koizumi....
By winning the votes of 59 million Americans, Mr. Bush clearly reaffirmed his role as leader of the Free World....
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
"It is evident that Europe, more than ever, must strengthen its unity and dynamism when faced with this great world power," said the Frenchman, who chose a fax rather than a phone call to send Washington his good wishes."
We helped save France twice you ingrate.
Removal of Saddam and his odious sons is success enough - everything else is gravy. We will not know the extent of its success for many years. That is what leading is all about - making decisions for the long term. I respect your anger with the war - just disagree.
Actually it is. They may not want to admit it, but what we are doing in Iraq, no one else in Europe, or all of Europe combined could not do.
Also, they have to know that if we do not win in Iraq, that Europeans as well as Americans will die at the hands of these fanatics.
They may not like us, but I am sure they are impressed with our capabilities.
Things are going pretty well in Iraq, at least as well as could be expected. We're on track for elections in January, the Iraqi security forces are being trained up, the Sadrists have been more or less pacified in Najaf and perhaps East Baghdad, and the problem of Fallujah is currently being addressed. Of course there is ongoing violence, but the media only portrays one side of the story.
Our weakness, if it exist, is because we are trying NOT to kill every living thing in a particular area, and we are trying NOT to destroy more then we have to.
True, we are not as brutal in our response and so it may take a little more time (and we will pay a price in blood for trying to protect the innocent.
Two points.
1. We are killing the bad guys there, and
2. They are not killing Americans here.
I do not believe any government in Europe is watching us in Iraq percieve any weakness other then our inability to be brutal. But, they also know if need be, we can be brutal, it is just not necessary at this time.
The President consistently said it would not be easy and that it would not be a cakewalk. Only his detractors, including the entire MSM, said otherwise.
***A lot of people in the Bush administration certainly expected something much better: Iraqis cheering the liberation, troops being pulled back after a couple of months, Iraq becoming a democracy in no time, etc.***
I defy you to quote anyone in the Bush administration who said "troops being pulled back after a couple of months, Iraq becoming a democracy in no time."
Your criticism of the Iraq campaign is in comparison to what exactly?
Any historical insights you would care to share?
As I said before, I DEFY you to name the names and times anyone from Bush's Cabinet said that Iraq would be a cake walk. If you can't put up, then shut up.
Yet another disgruntled Kerry supporter, eh? Don't worry young lady, the adults have been and remain in charge of the nation. We will take care of you.
Prairie
Our WEAKNESS? Get real.
Our military strength is well known and feared. But what is a true test of our strength and CONFIDENCE is the ability to adapt and to occasionally pull back and try diplomacy.
The terrrorists are attacking soft targets and Iraqi's. They aren't able to engage the military except to lob a few mortars into the Green Zone.
They will get lucky sometimes. Only an idiot would think we could stop each and every attack, every time.
Just like crime in a major city. Sometime happens every night.
It's sad that you can't be impressed with our successes in Iraq.
You have seen the lists of accomplishments I'm sure.
Actually, you may well just be a DU troll hoping to blow off steam after being declared losers.
We have accomplished much. Most of the Iraqis are grateful for our presence.
They have already said they didn't expect the insurgency to be this large. What else would you want from them?
I guarantee you that if the cowards had stayed and fought like men in the early stages, it would have been well controlled by now.
What are you doing here anyway?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.