Slaughter: Giving Up Is to Escalate the Wrong War

Rep. Louise M. Slaughter (D-NY-28), Chairwoman of the House Rules Committee, and my former congresswoman, questions the worthiness of spending more American lives and billions of taxpayer funds in escalating a dumb war--a war whose very premise is based on bad information and deadly wrong assumptions.

If that mission is the wrong one, then how is supporting the mission the same as supporting the troops? If that mission is the wrong one, then how is demanding a change giving up? Giving up means the opposite: it means insisting on a failing strategy.

But even if we didn't know early on that U.S. intelligence was wrong, the judgement of those interpreting so flawed, and therefore the resulting policies and strategies so off target, we know it now, so why would we continue risking the lives of U.S. soldiers and our defense funds on it?

Iraq is in the midst of a 'sectarian' war that could last--well, as long as it has already lasted--100s of years.

Our troops are being asked to do something that no army can do: find a military solution to a political problem. If the mission we have given our brave soldiers is the wrong one - and the past four years prove that this escalation is the wrong mission - then why would we help our enemies by refusing to change course?

The U.S. has taken its eyes off the ball and we're paying the price. Afghanistan is not yet secure to be used again as a launching pad for al Qaeda-sponsored terrorism. Actually, it's been reported that the terror network is back in operation on the borderlands of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The U.S. is more isolated then ever--which makes it ever more difficult to collect data and ground level information to fight international terrorism.

Americans have no greater reassurance that another catastrophic attack won't be launched on the homeland. Given the undisputed failures America is insecure about its safety--which is having a negative impact on a whole slew of issues at home, including: immigration, managing natural disasters, social investments, etc.