another op/ed right ON the mark

I Dare Any American to Name a Single Bush or Republican National Security Success...Just One

A. Alexander, August 18th, 2006
Republicans are masters at creating a political perception that is entirely divorced from reality. On no other issue is this highlighted more clearly than regarding national security. What is more incredible still, is that the American people buy into these Republican myths regardless of what their own senses tell them.Somewhere in the national security formula must be a variable called competence. How is it possible for a president or party to keep the nation secure, if their strategy has resulted in a string of one failure followed by another? Bush and Republicans began the war in Afghanistan, completed half the job, pulled out most of the military resources, and have done virtually nothing as that country slips back into the hands of al Qaeda and the Taliban. A recent report stated, in no uncertain terms, that the Bush-backed strategy for combating an Islamist insurrection in Pakistan has failed 'badly'. The Bush administration's attempts at preventing Somalia from falling to Taliban-like Islamists, has also failed. All this, of course, says nothing about the complete and utter disaster known as Iraq. ..............