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 Iraq
Could Doom Bush, PAGE TWO
By Dick Morris
As long as Saddam Hussein and his Ba'athist Party is out of power
- and does not return - the United States will have accomplished
its essential objective in Iraq. Saddam is an evil man. His villainy,
coupled with his access to oil wealth, made him a potent threat
to peace and freedom. He had to go.
To make sure he remains out of power, we must keep a large garrison,
safely ensconced at a secure base, in Iraq once we hand over
power to the Iraqi Governing Council.
But democracy may be a bridge too far in Iraq; even peace may
be elusive. We must heed the lessons of Nixon's successful disengagement
from Vietnam. As Nixon did, we must turn the war over to the
locals, a process he called Vietnamization. But, this time, we
must not let the Democrats in Congress tie our hands. We've got
to retain the freedom, flexibility and logistical ability to
intervene again if the forces of evil come back to power.
If Bush hangs on in Iraq, insisting on "nation building,"
he will leave public opinion behind. The resulting bitter alienation
will cripple our ability to act against terror in other places,
cost him the presidency and probably make future intervention
in Iraq impossible.
Bush is leading America in a crucial crusade to rid the world
of terrorism. He needs an energetic, committed and largely united
nation behind him. He must not squander those priceless assets
in a dead-end pursuit of an ideal Iraq. A Saddam-less one is
enough for one administration to achieve and to be thankful for.
Dick Morris was an adviser
to Bill Clinton for 20 years. Look for his book, Off With Their
Heads: Traitors, Crooks, and Obstructionists in American Politics,
Media and Business. @2004 Dick Morris E-mail
Dick. See
more columns by Dick Morris.
 Gary
Varvel, Indiana -- The Indianapolis Star-News
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