Editorial: Spinning Iraq (NYT)

Published: May 3, 2008

President Bush will never live down “Mission Accomplished” — and should not. When the White House’s spinners spun that claim five years ago (remember the aircraft carrier?), it seemed cocky and premature. As Mr. Bush continues his $526 billion war-without-end in Iraq, it seems stunningly deceitful.

The only mission that needs to be accomplished is an orderly exit from Iraq, and Mr. Bush is no closer to acknowledging that reality. Neither is Senator John McCain. All Congress seems capable of is hand-wringing ...

It is shocking that the United States and Iraq still have no strategy for dealing with more than 4 million Iraqis who have been driven from their homes; 2.7 million people are internally displaced, and there are another 1.5 million or more refugees in Syria and Jordan. This is not only a question of human suffering. It threatens to spread Iraq’s chaos far beyond its borders ...

The list of failings and missions not accomplished doesn’t stop there. Millions of Iraqis still don’t have clean water and medical care, thousands are jobless ...

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/03/opinion/03sat1.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

Overall, a mixed bag ...