July 21, 2008
Confessions of an Anti-Iraq War Democrat: Memories of a Purple Finger (Lanny Davis)
I remember the exact moment I had my first serious doubts about whether I was 100 percent right that the U.S. preemptive invasion of Iraq and the take-out of Saddam Hussein was a serious mistake.
I had been strongly opposed to the U.S. intervention from the start. I felt this way even though I believed (as did most everyone, including the intelligence community) that Hussein had weapons of mass destruction and even though I thought that Saddam was a murderous, genocidal thug and the world would be better off — and the U.S. safer — with him dead.
However, I reasoned, the WMD inspectors were back in and we had Saddam surrounded — thanks to George Bush, to whom, by the way, we Democrats did not give sufficient credit at the time.
So why risk the uncertainties of a preemptive invasion, loss of life and treasure, and diverting our attention from 9/11 and the war against terror, which most U.S. intelligence indicated had nothing to do with Saddam?
Of course, all these were good reasons for opposing starting the war, even as I look back now
But then came my first moment of doubt.
I saw on TV in early 2005, in their first preliminary democratic elections, long lines of Iraqis waiting to vote under the hot desert sun with bombs and shrapnel exploding around them. Waiting to vote!
And then there was that indelible image — an older woman shrouded in a carpet-like cape, smiling gleefully and holding her purple finger in the air for the TV cameras, purple with ink showing that she had voted.
Smiling! In the middle of war! As U.S. troops standing nearby!
Wow, I thought. Is it possible I was wrong?
Is it possible, I wondered, that Iraqis truly did want democracy and freedom and the right to vote and government of the people, just as we Americans do? And were willing to fight for it, with our help?
Wouldn’t that be a good thing? Even a great thing?
Maybe another democracy, however imperfect, other than Israel in the Middle East could lead to more moderation, possibly other democracies? Democracies that could serve as bulwarks against al Qaeda-type of terrorist states?
Then in 2005-2006 came the increased violence from the Sunni insurgents against American kids, then the sectarian civil war between Sunnis and Shiites, with young Americans caught in the crossfire. My certainty in opposing the war and supporting a deadline for getting out re-emerged.
And then in early 2007 came the surge, which so many of us in the anti-war left of the Democratic Party predicted would be a failure, throwing good men and women and billions of dollars after futility. We were wrong.
The surge did, in fact, lead to a reduction of violence, confirmed by media on the ground as well as our military leaders. It did allow the Shiite government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in the last several months to show leadership by joining, if not leading, the military effort to clean out of Basra the masked Mahdi Army controlled by the anti-U.S. Shiite extremist cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and in the Sadr City section of Baghdad he claimed to control.
This willingness by the Shiite-dominated Maliki government to move against the Sadr Shiite extremists won crucial credibility for the government among many Sunni leaders and Sunnis on the streets, who joined together with Shiites to turn against the al Qaeda in Iraq and other Taliban-like extremists.
These are facts, not arguments.
I think there are a lot of anti-war Democrats who, like me, are impressed by these facts and who now see a moral obligation, after all the carnage and destruction wrought by our military intervention, not just to pick up and leave without looking over our shoulders.
Surely we owe the Iraqis who helped us, whose lives are in danger, immediate immigration rights to the U.S. Yet the shameful fact is that most are still not even close to having such rights.
Surely we owe the Maliki government and the Shi'ite and Sunni soldiers who put their lives on the line against Shiite and Sunni extremists and terrorists at our behest some continuing presence and support and patience as they strive to find peace, political reconciliation — and maybe even the beginnings of a stable democracy.
The only question is, for how long?
Forever? No. 100 years? No.
But for how long? I don’t know.
I just know I can't get out of my mind that lady with the purple finger held up, smiling into the camera. If getting in was a mistake, then getting out — how and when — is not so simple as long as there is hope that she can some day live in a democratic Iraq that can help America in the war against terror.
Lanny Davis is a prominent Washington lawyer and a political analyst for Fox News. In 2007 and 2008, he made multiple appearances on cable TV in support of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's (D-N.Y.) presidential campaign. From 1996 to 1998, he served as special counsel to President Bill Clinton. This piece was published in The Washington Times on Monday, July 21, 2008.
18 Comments
»
The Hill welcomes comment from anyone and will almost always post it whether it is favorable or critical, as long as it is substantive and advances debate.
RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI
Lanny, you're a tool and a fabulist. Go back to Faux where you belong.
Comment by Celtic — July 21, 2008 @ 11:06 am
Bravo sir. Bravo that you're a rare breed of writer that can absorb information and possibly change their position if the information warrants it. Not many do.
No one said it would be easy but as you pointed out, abandoning a society at a crucial juncture would likely have grave effects. No one wants war less than the troops actually in it, but if you ask them, they'll stay as long as necessary to complete the job properly.
We may not see eye-to-eye on the details but I think we see eye-to-eye on the goal.
Comment by Wayne Kulick — July 21, 2008 @ 11:23 am
Thank you for your honesty. For acknowledging the answers are not so simple as the questions we are asking in politics and the media.
I fully understand that to some part we in the public are like lemmings but the decisions our elected leaders make have life altering effects. I remember the pictures of the people we left to die behind us when we lifted our skirt and ran from southeast asia. Some reports up to 3 million. We can rewrite history but we can never wash there blood from our collective hands.
No matter how shitty things started, no matter how crappy things have become, ALL life has some value. If we made it we need to fix it.
Lets get this done, get it done right and then come home.
Comment by Steve — July 21, 2008 @ 1:00 pm
Tell you what Lanny, if you're so convinced that things are great in Iraq, go on over there and wander around outside the green zone, lightly armed, with no security detail, just like the Iraqis themselves have to live.
IF you can file further Bush Jr lackey statements like your latest piece of tripe, and NOT disappear, then maybe your opinion might have some validity.
But if you're too cowardly to actually attempt such a stupid move, it just proves beyond all doubt that even you don't believe your own blather.
And just what do you think will happen when the US $$$$$ spigot stops flowing towards those supposedly subdued militias, think they'll just take that move with good humor and aplomb?
And why no words about the war profiteers who have made so much money at the clear expense of those US troops, such as the recent reports of electrocutions that Generals like Petraeus were aware of, but downplayed as much as possible?
It's truly sad that you put loyalty to Bush Jr FAR above loyalty to our Constitution and those US troops this President uses as nothing more than a media opportunity to push his blood-soaked agenda.
Thanks to the disastrous US occupation, the only Iraqis empowered are a bunch of religious thugs like al-Sadr and all those suicide/car bombers so ruthlessly suppressed by Saddam Hussein.
And who else has been the clear winners of our being bogged down in Iraq?
Well, Usama bin Laden and Iran.
"Mission Accomplished" indeed!
Comment by KingCranky — July 21, 2008 @ 2:29 pm
Spot on King Cranky.
By the way Lanny, I think your beloved DLC has now officially imploded. Did you hire Bahgdad Bob, Lanny, to help out with this post?
Comment by Dwayne Mac — July 21, 2008 @ 3:52 pm
There has never been a point in the history of the United States when the affairs of Iraq have had any relation to our national security. If all Iraqi's live in peace and harmony or all Iraqi's die horrid deaths tomorrow it is not now, never was and never will be of one second's consequence.
There is no victory in Iraq. There is no progress in Iraq and there never can be.
If I must stroke beknighted fools with praise for imaginary victories so they stop killing people I will. If I must stroke the egos of halfwits so they are less murderously stupid I will but not in an election year. Not when we have a clear choice between murderous fools and people who have consistently opposed their murderous stupidity.
It really is as simple as that.
Comment by Jim — July 21, 2008 @ 7:31 pm
It amazes me how people like king cranky can look at blue sky and say it is yellow just because it is was called blue by the right! What an idiot. I have never seen so much hate spew from a group of people towards a president that, when history writes its books on him is going to find that that the man was right!….Obama is dangerous for this country…..dont believe it, just check out his first 100 days in office!….which by the way will be stolen away by the media!
What a dope!
Comment by Bryon — July 22, 2008 @ 12:20 am
Jim,
If you believe national security is the only reason to get involved in another country's "affairs," then it is people like you who would have stood by and watched the systematic extermination of the Jews. You make a bold assumption of us as a society that we would just sit idly by and have it "never be of one second's consequence." Historically we as a society have virtually been the ONLY country that doesn't sit idly by. Sometimes, getting involved is more than just national security. It's just right. Do your homework.
While we, the service men and women do the peace keeping and defending of your freedoms (repeatedly), you just sit on your comfy couch and blog away with your erred and circular logic.
Devoid of any real argument, you reveal your true self in your name calling. It really is as simple as that.
Comment by Wayne Kulick — July 22, 2008 @ 8:29 am
Lanny I think you need a nap.
Hillary is going to be real pissed when she reads this one.You were told to stay in your room and be quiet.
Comment by Teerry Gee — July 22, 2008 @ 9:54 am
Wayne;
If you could do us a favor and please run down teh reasons we invaded Iraq, you'll see that in the light of day, nothing that was told to us had anything to do with our national security. Less look at them;
A. Weapons of Mass Destruction - none found.
B. Responsible for 9/11 - lies.
C. Oil- yes sir and now Exxon, Texaco, Chevron have a stake in their oil fields.
Wayne, most of us here understand why Bush invaded, if you don't keep it to yourself, let makes you look less stupid.
Comment by Mike Coleman — July 22, 2008 @ 1:19 pm
Wayne is having a bit of a struggle trying to catch up with reailty. Can you tell who voted for Dumbya twice? Bush and Cheney have these whacked out neocons (loyalists) so confused they don't know which way is up.
Comment by Dwayne Mac — July 22, 2008 @ 2:58 pm
Wayne is having a bit of a struggle trying to catch up with reailty. Can you tell who voted for Dumbya twice? Bush and Cheney have these whacked out neocons (loyalists) so confused they don't know which way is up. As for Byron, well, not much hope there either. He too voted for the worst president ever in our history; can't you tell?
Comment by Dwayne Mac — July 22, 2008 @ 3:00 pm
Here's my homework Wayne. More Iraqi's would be alive today if people like you hadn't been dumb enough to vote for two morons named Bush. By the way, there would be one helluva lot more jews alive if the Republican Party hadn't consistently opposed FDR's efforts to confront Hitler.
Comment by Jim — July 22, 2008 @ 4:52 pm
By The way Wayne:
Do you have some personal knowledge of my military service?
Can ya tell me what color my couch is?
Why do you make the assumption because I oppose this idiot's war I've never had anything to do with the military?
Oh, and for your further information it was the republicans who opposed Jewish immigration during the '30s. Have you never read a decent college level history of your own country?
Comment by Jim — July 22, 2008 @ 5:33 pm
You leave out very key facts, Saddam was supported by the U.S., the gas he used was sold to him by Rumsfeld and Searle. The U.S. looked the other way when he used the gas and was happy that he engaged Iran in War. At the time of our illegal invasion he was contained by the U.S. policies and the no fly zones, he opposed the extremists and kept the various factions in Iraq in check. We caused chaos where there was stability. We wasted over 4,000 American lives and tens of thousands of Iraqi lives, created thousands of disabled and dismembered and orphans. Do you think these people are satistified that a phony democracy with a puppet government was created. Before the US invasion, they had electrictcy, they had water, they had market places, the children has parents. Should we invade every Country with an unjust Government, Mr. Davis?
Comment by PoliticalWorld — July 23, 2008 @ 5:13 pm
Lanny, Well you've taken some big hits from your side of the isle this time. I have a son on his third tour. We here may not agree on whether we shoud have gone, but we are there. We are making a difference. The Iraqis do want and deserve a better existence.
Our memories are short. We have to go back past the lessons of Vietnam to what we should remember as the necessity of WW2. In the long run, we can only hope we'll see that image of the purple finger as a new beginning.
Comment by GF Wilson — July 24, 2008 @ 1:37 pm
"more Iraqis would be alive today." Duh, you're a master of the obvious jim. More alive to continue their extermination of the Kurds. I guess you'd view that as an internal issue huh?
Would it make you feel better if the sole reason we went to war was on a humanitarian basis? Dude, the nut was storing weapons in schools! Let me refresh your memory on history as well. Democracy costs, it costs dearly.
So how do you connect republicans opposing Jewish immigration in the 30's to my point concerning our involvement in a war by your reason would have been a strictly internal affair?
Note I was discussing our involvement in WWII not immigration policy. Are you trying to make some ludicrous connection of party immigration philosophy and our involvement in WWII? Holy cow, I better send you the history books..
Comment by Wayne Kulick — July 26, 2008 @ 4:15 pm
Bravo Lanny.
Comment by Alice Rea — July 27, 2008 @ 8:25 am