GUEST,282RA - 07 Dec 06 - 08:23 PM

"If there is no war in Iraq, Teribus, then Bush cannot claim war time powers. So Bush then is abusing his power and must face the consequences."

Wrong 282RA, the MNF currently deployed in Iraq are there at the invitation of the duly elected Government of Iraq and under the terms of a perfectly legal and duly authorised UN Security Council Mandate. The latter has just been renewed and extended until 31st December 2007.

So sorry no requirement to claim war time powers and no abuse of power on the part of your President.

The Iraqi army currently being trained, who have already taken post in almost half of the country and who for some time now have been taking the lead in counter-insurgency operations is a very different force from the Iraqi Army of Saddam Hussein (Who never trusted his Army anyway). Main difference is that this Iraqi Army is not made of conscripts, they are all volunteers, and despite all the bombings and specific targeting of Army and Police recruitment centres thousands of Iraqi's continue to volunteer.

Your President is quite right to state that the US "will prevail" because the alternative does not really bear thinking about. If the civilian population of the United States of America does to US servicemen and women currently serving in Afghanistan and Iraq what you did to your conscript army that served in Vietnam. If you succeed in dragging them back home having not allowed them to finish the job, then resign yourselves to the fact that on their return you will be defenceless, because these guys will not be prepared to go in to bat for you again unless it is on American soil where they can see you on the frontline alongside them - of course by that stage it would be too late, you'd already have lost whatever conflict you were involved in.