Protests flare on fifth anniversary of Iraq war

The Associated Press

Police and protesters face off in Washington D.C.

Featured Topic | Posted 36 weeks 4 days ago

Protests flare on fifth anniversary of Iraq war

President George W. Bush said today the extra forces he ordered into Iraq last year have increased security in the country and paved the way for a "major strategic victory" in the war against terrorism. That progress has made the "high cost in lives and treasure" in Iraq worthwhile, the president said in a speech marking the fifth anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion. The speech came amid renewed protests also marking the war's anniversary.

Ben likes: No surrender

Fouad Ajami/Wall Street Journal

In the past five years, the passion has drained out of the war's defenders and critics alike. Our soldiers and envoys are there, but the public at home has moved onto other concerns. Still, the public is willing to grant this expedition time, and that's for the good. There is no taste in this country for imperial burdens and acquisitions in distant lands. But Americans also know that the lands and sea lanes of the Persian Gulf are too vital to be left to mayhem and petty tyrants.

Joel likes: What has the Iraq war achieved?

Fred Kaplan/Slate

Imagine it's early 2003, and President George W. Bush presents the following case for invading Iraq:

"We're about to go to war against Saddam Hussein. Victory on the battlefield will be swift and fairly clean. But then 100,000 U.S. troops will have to occupy Iraq for about 10 years. On average, nearly 1,000 of them will be killed and another 10,000 injured in each of the first 5 years. We'll spend at least $1 trillion on the war and occupation, and possibly trillions more. Toppling Saddam will finish off a ghastly tyranny, but it will also uncork age-old sectarian tensions. More than 100,000 Iraqis will die, a few million will be displaced, and the best we can hope for will be a loosely federated Islamic republic that isn't completely in Iran's pocket. Finally, it will turn out that Saddam had neither weapons of mass destruction nor ties to the planners of 9/11. Our intervention and occupation will serve as the rallying cry for a new crop of terrorists."

It is extremely doubtful that Congress would have authorized such a war or that the American people would have shouted, "Bring it on!"