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The Iraq elections: Time to deliver
President Bush also acknowledged last week it was an intelligence failure in his administration that led to the conclusion Saddam had weapons of mass destruction. But he defended the war aims of destroying a brutal dictatorship and introducing democracy to the people of Iraq.
When the Iraqis are able to govern their country and protect it from terrorists, it will be time for America to leave, the president said.
These are positive developments -- the elections and the president's forthrightness -- but there is only so much we can do.
We can borrow from our criticism of the Nanny State here. If the Iraqis cannot within a reasonable period secure their nation, we should not put them on a permanent welfare program enforced by the blood of American troops and the hard work of American taxpayers.
At the beginning of the war, we thought a policy of containment against Saddam was the better course. Once the war was undertaken, however, we supported it on the premise that to fail would plunge Iraq into chaos and embolden America's terrorist enemies.
The Bush administration does have the responsibility to prosecute this nation-building to a successful conclusion. Now, more than ever, the president's competence will be tested.
We call on the president to deliver -- sooner rather than later.
