Bush: America Could be in Iraq for Long Time

In a news conference today, President Bush said American troops would likely be in Iraq for a long time.

Actually, that'll only happen if things get better. Let's not forget that we still have bases in Germany and Japan. We arrived in those nations as conquerors, became humanitarians and helped both nations build stable democracies. Our military is still in those countries not because we have to be but because they permit us to be. Our enemies became our allies.

My point isn't that the occupation of Germany and Japan should or even could be a model, only that a long-term presence in a foreign nation is, for us, generally a sign of success. Notice that we do not have any troops stationed in Vietnam.

So the question with Iraq shouldn't be "how much longer will we be there" but, instead, "how do we go from being perceived by many as an occupier to being permitted by the vast majority as an important part of a strategic alliance." Because, in reality, if we end up leaving Iraq anytime soon, it'll be because we failed to erect the kind of nation for which we fought.