Is the mega fortress US embassy in Iraq justified?

Yes

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by Joseph Whalen

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The dramatic carrier landing by our Chief Executive on the Aircraft Carrier Lincoln on May 2nd, 2003 followed shortly thereafter by a rousing speech set on the deck of the aircraft carrier with the backdrop of a massive red white and blue American flag emblazoned banner declaring "Mission Accomplished" indicated a very optimistic appraisal of the conflict in Iraq. Five years later with thousands of American lives lost the President wants us to believe that we are winning the war in Iraq. There is much talk about President Bush's brilliant "troop surge" campaign and how it has allowed us to gain valuable ground on the local insurgents. Given all of these signs of victory and presumed dominance in the Iraq theater, one can't help but wonder if we are doing so well why then do we need such a fortified presence at the US embassy in Iraq.

Of course the reality of the situation is far different than the overhyped and scrubbed image that the Bush administration would have us see of the war. Every day we hear of new bombings in markets and roadside convoys claiming more American and civilian lives. When the American death toll topped four thousand soldiers the White House Press department was quick to shift attention away to less critical matters so as not to draw the ire of the American public to a war we simply cannot win. We have groups of soldiers on their third and fourth deployment to the Iraq theater, each time playing a game of Russian roulette putting their lives on the line for an administration that neither cares for their safety or is capable of making the difficult decisions necessary to end American involvement in the area.

To judge the justification of such a fortified installation as the US embassy in Iraq we have to examine the current situation in the region. Had the United States not interfered in the workings of what was a sovereign nation the situation in Iraq would be dramatically different. The United States would have no presence in country, thus putting no American lives at risk. As a result the need for such a ridiculously overpowered embassy would not be needed. Had we not engaged in the aggressive tactics that the Bush administration has become infamous for we would not have so many American lives hanging in the balance in a region of the world where we clearly are not welcomed.

Again the reality of the situation is very different than how it should be. President Bush has forced the country into a war in which our objectives were ambiguous at best, objectives that simply evaporated as the conflict progressed. We are left with thousands of American troops in a hostile region trying to govern a country whose own government is incapable of policing. Billions of dollars are being spent in a war with no defined enemy, no defined military objectives and no exit strategy. Swap steamy jungles for arid dessert and we find ourselves mired in yet another Viet Nam. It is this sad situation that has resulted in the need for a US embassy that is practically as fortified as the Maginot Line.

Given the current circumstances and the nearly impossible situation created by the incompetent decisions of the Bush administration the heavily fortified US embassy in Iraq is painfully necessary. It is necessary to protect those within its walls from the ever present threat of snipers, bombings and other random attacks that plaque our forces in Iraq. It is necessary because President Bush has made it necessary with his poor decisions and continued stubborness in his misguided policies and over confidence in the face of overwhelming evidence that we don't belong in the country. However, when looking at the larger picture such fortresses should not be needed. We should either be out of the country or in control of it. Instead we are at the mercy of the insurgents, forced to hunker down behind fortified walls. If this is how the United States is supposed to preserve its dominance as the last remaining super power then perhaps we aren't worthy of that title any more.

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