Only one foreign dignitary had the guts to tell Americans on their own soil that the war in Iraq was a big mistake.
He made that statement immediately after signing treaties with Bush. And he did sign treaties with Bush immediately after that statement too.
It is very easy to say what we want to hear. But it needs real guts and honesty to tell us what we don't want to hear.
That is also the reason why our media never told us about that press conference because our media lacks both.
The venue was Washington Press Club two years ago. During a Q&A meet with the press club, he was asked whether the invasion of Iraq was right or wrong.
His answer was abrupt and straight-forward: "It was a big mistake."
The long standing ovation by our press was unanimous. They had to repeat the ovation the next minute when he followed up with words which essentially meant:
- Any way a mistake was committed. We cannot undo it now because it is already done is part of history.
- Now we have to correct that mistake by putting that incident behind us and by helping Iraqis to build a strong nation before withdrawing from their country.
But then that guy couldn't say otherwise because he was an economist educated from both Oxford and Cambridge.
Why I write this now?
Because of the thoughtless but dangerous ideas now being floated by presidential hopefuls about withdrawing from Iraq.
Administering a nation is not playing to the gallery - election campaigns may be.
Price of oil is no more shying away from $100 a barrel. And soon that figure will become the regular price and most likely will be surpassed.
Only God knows what will be the price of oil if we withdraw quickly from Iraq on the basis of a foolish promise given in election campaign meetings to please voters.
After all, voters care two hoots whether Saudis are pumping brine in to prime oil wells because soft crude is drying up or not.
And after our premature withdrawal, once the Iraqi Shiites declare solidarity with the Iranians, the whole oil producing region of Iraq will become Iranian territory.
First it was wrong to treat brave men of our patriotic armed forces as if they are family butlers of some people and send them on missions abroad to settle scores with personal enemies - while the real enemies of the nation roamed free elsewhere.
But having sent them there, they should be allowed to continue their mission because they have completed the invasion phase and are engaged in the consolidation phase.
At any rate we cannot insult our valiant men and their sacrifices any further by withdrawing them prematurely and widening Iran's borders for free.
Yes, we have to withdraw - but only at the right time. Our commanders on the field will tell us when.
A mistake cannot be corrected by committing another mistake!
Just because one Supreme Commander blundered doesn't mean his successor commit another gargantuan blunder!
