An interesting pattern of foreign policy has developed since 2002, when the Bush administration started misleading the public on Iraq and the threat it posed to America.

The pattern begins when the administration makes a claim about Iraq.

It ends when it is revealed that the exact opposite of what the administration claimed turns out to be true!

The Bush administration insinuated and successfully convinced 70 percent of the American public that Iraq was connected to the Sept. 11 attacks. No such connection ever existed.

The administration claimed that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. No weapons have been found.

The administration claimed that Saddam Hussein was a dangerous dictator threatening the United States.

No evidence of threat has been uncovered.

The administration claimed that by invading Iraq we would be reducing terrorism in the world. Hatred of the United States and terrorism in Iraq has increased significantly.

The administration claimed that the Iraqi people would welcome us with open arms. The Iraqi people are currently killing and mutilating our soldiers.

The administration claimed that it had a clear plan that would set up democracy in Iraq. The plan, if there ever was one, completely failed to account for the vast ethnic divisions that exist in Iraq today and make imposing a democracy nearly impossible.

The administration claimed that it wasn’t important to have long-standing allies, such as France or Germany, in support of our plans. It is obvious that international support is important now.

The administration claimed that invading Iraq and establishing democracy would stabilize the Middle East and promote peace. Instead, the Iraq invasion has reduced America’s standing and reduced the U.S.’s influence on Middle Eastern nations and started a civil war in the process.

Wednesday, during the Pentagon press conference, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld summarized the situation nicely. “[This] is one moment, and there will be other moments,” the leader of our military said.

“And there will be good moments and there will be less good moments.”

Maureen Dowd, commenting in the New York Times, responded, “calling the families of more than 30 young Americans killed this week in the confusing hell of Iraq must be a less good moment.”

Explaining to the families of our soldiers why the administration feels it is appropriate to lead a war based on deception must be a less good moment as well.

Tony Borich

Sophomore

Community and Regional Planning