What Is Most Important

What is most important to the Bush Administration?

Saving face or doing what is right?

The answer is obvious to me. The right thing to do would be to admit it was a mistake to invade Iraq and get out, but Bush would rather send more troops to risk their lives (not his own) in a failed, illegal, and unnecessary war simply to save face. The act is deplorable, but it seems that it will happen regardless.

And to what lengths will Bush's face-saving strategy go? Maybe start another war, this time with Iran, just to show them who's boss.

What does our Secretary of Defense say about that?

Gates Says Iran Sees U.S. As Bogged Down

Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Monday that new U.S. military moves in the Persian Gulf were prompted in part by signals from Iran that it sees the United States as vulnerable in Iraq.

"The Iranians clearly believe that we are tied down in Iraq, that they have the initiative, that they are in a position to press us in many ways," Gates told reporters at NATO headquarters before flying to Kabul to meet with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and to visit U.S. soldiers and commanders.

It was Gates' first trip to Afghanistan since he took over for Donald H. Rumsfeld last month; he had said several times recently that he is worried that U.S. gains in stabilizing Afghanistan could be in jeopardy as the radical Taliban movement makes a comeback in some parts of the country, particularly the south.

In Brussels, Gates indicated that Iran's perception of U.S. vulnerability was part of the reason the Pentagon decided last week to send a second aircraft carrier battle group and a Patriot anti-missile battalion to the Gulf area. Patriots defend against shorter-range missiles of the type that Iran could use to target U.S. forces in the area. The Pentagon has not said exactly where the Patriots will be based.

The second aircraft carrier gives the U.S. more flexibility and serves as a reminder of U.S. firepower.

Why all this fuss over Iran? Is the 20,000+ troop increase to impress Iran too?

Bush is, yet again, losing focus. He focused on Iraq when he should have been focussing on bin Laden and Afghanistan. Now, he is focussing on Iran when he should be focusing on Iraq.

Bush is risking the lives of more troops and wasting more taxpayer dollars to save face. Instead, I think we should focus on what is important: doing what is right. Cutting off funding for the troop increase would be a good start. Impeachment would be a better start.