The Latest From Capital Hill

Currently the Democratic representatives in the house and the President are deadlocked on the issue of funding for troops in Iraq. President Bush has warned he will veto any bill that sets a deadline for withdrawal while House Democrats argue that America wants the war to end. The last thrashes of a lame duck president or unfinished business in Babylon?

It is clear that the war in Iraq was not justified on the merit of the evidence given but this does not in and of itself make the war a bad idea. Was Iraq ruled by a dictator? Yes. Why? Usually the socio-political-economic factors that lead to a dictatorship are broad but in this case it is clear; he was installed as a U.S. puppet. In a very real sense Saddam Hussein was the responsibility of the U.S. government in the first place and perhaps it is justified that they have finally corrected their error. We must of course remember that the sin's of the father are n0t instinctively the sin's of the son.

Even if you, like myself, accept that the reasons presented for the war were not sufficient, this does not also automatically conclude that with drawl now is prudent. We have the opportunity and I would say the responsibility to take that opportunity today. We can turn Iraq into a great nation one that stands for democracy and freedom in a land of authoritarian regimes and repression or we can turn our backs and allow a wounded people to be sent out like lambs amongst the wolves.