Editorial: Iraq outlook not all rosy

Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2005 | 9:02 a.m.

President Bush misrepresented the reasons for going to war in Iraq. Then he celebrated victory too early. Even after the insurgency became evident, he failed to send enough troops or to even provide them with proper equipment. He never developed a long-range plan. Yet he is expected to speak optimistically about Iraq on Wednesday during his State of the Union address, drawing upon Sunday's elections to validate the war. Fortunately, anticipating Bush's speech, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., delivered some straight facts about Iraq on Monday.

In a speech in Washington, Reid complimented the elections, calling them a "milestone." But he also pointed out that the Bush administration is operating day-to-day in Iraq. "The president needs to spell out a real and understandable plan for the unfinished work ahead," Reid said. He was careful to advise against setting a deadline for troop withdrawal, as that "only empowers those who don't want us there." But he was deliberate in using the term "exit strategy."

"Most of all, we need an exit strategy so that we know what victory is and how we can get there ..." Reid said.

We agree with our senator, whose position now enables him to speak for all Senate Democrats. We agree not only with his positions on Iraq, but also with his strategy of aggressively contesting the Bush administration. There are valid views regarding Iraq besides those expressed by Bush.

While Reid made it clear that there is "no partisan split in our commitment to defending this nation," he was strong in his criticism of the way Bush has gone about it. He assailed Bush for sending troops "without the weapons and equipment they need." He criticized Bush's pre-war justifications for invading Iraq, noting that the Defense Department has given up looking for weapons of mass destruction and that reports of ties between Saddam Hussein and al-Qaida were "flimsy." He called for articulate plans to defeat the insurgency, rebuild Iraq, involve more political parties in Iraq elections and increase the involvement of other countries in Iraq's future.

He faulted Bush for putting the war on terrorism "on the back burner," for virtually ignoring the nuclear threats posed by Iran and North Korea and for remaining silent on human rights violations in Saudi Arabia while concentrating on Iraq. He noted Osama bin Laden is still "alive and on the loose," and called for strengthening our Special Forces and intelligence services. He was particularly critical of homeland security, citing the need for more and better-equipped police and firefighters and the necessity of more security for ports and airplane cargo holds.

The speech made by Reid on Monday is well worth bearing in mind while listening to the speech that Bush will make on Wednesday.