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Senseless Senators!
The U.S. Senate voted
to make over $10 billion of the $20.3 billion set aside for rebuilding
the infrastructure of Iraq into a loan!
I can hardly begin to express how shortsighted, narrow-minded and just plain stupid
this is.
One of the major reasons we fought the war in Iraq was to put in place a
democratic government that would deal with us not as an enemy and perhaps even
as an ally. This vote sabotages the military victory we won there (and are still
winning). It sends a signal to the Iraqis that Americans are selfish, that we
can't be trusted, that we're fair-weather friends, and that (as some have said)
we're only in it for the money.
The pre-natal Iraqi government, before it even gets on its feet and operating
independently, is already facing a mountain of debt owed to France, Russia and
others, and our senators have voted to add over ten billion dollars
to it. That's real money that could be used to reduce Iraq's other debt, or to
improve infrastructure in Iraq, or to provide a better standard of living for
the Iraqi people. How, now, can we ask other countries to forgive Iraqi debt so
that the new government gets off to a strong financial start?
Also, the manner in which we deal with the Iraqis is a signal to others in
the Middle East. The constant refrain from that region is that we're biased
against Muslims - that we support Israel against all others, no matter how
unfair the situation. This vote lends credence to that perception, even though
it is wrong. As we try to persuade Iran to open up its nuclear program to
inspections, as we attempt to influence Israel and the Palestinians to come to a
negotiated peace, as we press the dictatorships in the region to pursue
democratic reform, does this vote help? No! It gives those who hate
America more ammunition for their arguments. Why would our senators do this
to us?
Sadly, I can only think of one viable reason: partisan politics.
The outcome of the vote was that 43 Democrats and 8 Republicans voted to make
the aid to Iraq a loan. Nearly every one of the Democrats in the Senate (there
are 48 senators from the Democratic party) voted to make the aid a loan, despite
a strong plea from the Bush administration not to do so.
What can I conclude from this shameful record?
Based on this, it appears to me that our Democratic party senators (and by
extension, the Democratic party leadership) are so short-sighted in their zeal
to damage the Bush administration that they are willing to risk all of our
hard-won success in Iraq. They are willing to let the American lives sacrificed
to free Iraq from a nightmarish dictatorship be in vain. They are willing to let
freedom in Iraq fail, and the Iraqi people despair under some new
horrific government - a new Ba'athist dictatorship or fundamentalist Islamic
theocracy. They are willing to let the perception of America in the Middle East
suffer even more - and all of this puts the American people in more danger
from fundamental Islamic terrorism.
Success in Iraq is too important to be sabotaged by partisan politics. This
vote is an outrage and an insult to those Americans who gave everything for
freedom there. Contact
your senators, and let them know that you expect better.
01/06/2004 05:12 AM
UPDATE: It looks likely that the loan provisions in the legislation
will be removed during conference sessions with the House. Robert Byrd (Democrat
from W. Va.), one of the leaders of the Senate Appropriations Committee confirmed
that the vote for the loans was all about partisan politics:
Byrd said opponents supported U.S. troops but opposed Bush's justification of
the war with Iraq _ that it was a terrorist state against which pre-emptive
action had to be taken.
"Fie on that doctrine of pre-emption," Byrd said. "That's a
dangerous doctrine. Those who vote against this bill are voting against that
doctrine." [http://www.comcast.net/News/POLITICS//XML/1153_Congress/2d65979a-14af-4353-ab70-a9bd57a5ac0f.html]
So, Senator Byrd says straight out that the Democrats are so opposed to the
Bush administration's policies that they are willing to let Iraq suffer more,
simply to make a political point. How low can our Democratic party senators
stoop? And just how willing are they to see Americans killed in future terror
attacks? Remember this when these senators are up for re-election - and choose a
different candidate.
01/06/2004 05:12 AM
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