WORMWOOD
President Bush today tried to reassure the American people that America is winning the war in Iraq. He insists that the country is not near a civil war but is struggling with “sectarian violence.” He said “There has been a cycle of sectarian violence that has erupted into what--a raging conflict.” He said that there will be plenty of tough fighting and that it is the U.S. military’s job to prevent an all-out civil war.

Mr. Bush refused today to speak about what he called hypotheticals--such as when U.S. troops may leave the country. “America has no intention of taking sides in a sectarian struggle or standing in the crossfire between rival factions,” he said. I wonder what he calls, in the privacy of his mind, what we did when we invaded Iraq and what we have been doing in a war that has lead to the death of more than 650,000 Iraqis and almost 3000 American service soldiers.

Mr. Bush again expressed confidence in the Iraqi government and in his own administration leaders. When he was asked about who should be held accountable for the situation in Iraq and who will be held responsible if the war plan fails. “Absolutely we are winning,” he said. “If people want to...if people are unhappy about it, look right to the president.”

As the President attempted to answer reasonable questions from intelligent reporters, his ineptitude and his inadequacy became progressively clearer. He refused to acknowledge that the news reports on the situation in Iraq are accurate. Perhaps his seclusion insulates him from the news that the rest of us in America are getting. He seems not to be getting an accurate picture. He is either uninformed or he is not telling the truth. In an earlier press conference he applauded the courage of the Iraqis saying that he is “amazed that this is a society which so wants to be free that they’re willing to--you know, that there’s a level of violence that they tolerate.” In reality, 890,000 Iraqis have moved to Jordan, Iran and Syria since the invasion by coalition forces and the fall of Hussein, and more than 300,000 have fled to other parts of Iraq to escape the violence. Polls show that 71 percent of Iraqis want the U.S. forces to leave within a year. It is apparent that these people are not “tolerating” the violence. They’re just trying to survive it.

Many Americans are also just trying to survive, especially the families of the three thousand sons, daughters, wives, husbands, grandchildren, brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces, and friends who have been killed. And families of the many thousands who have come back terribly maimed are just trying to survive.

I must say that in spite of his mumbling, stumbling, and reading from a text that had obviously been prepared by somebody else, the President seemed today at last to acknowledge that he knows there is a problem with the situation in Iraq. I noticed at one point in his news conference today he began a sentence, “If we succeed,” then abruptly backed up and changed to, “When we succeed.” It means that he has fleeting thoughts that what he has begun may not turn out well. Considering the graveness of the situation, that would be small comfort; but at least it would be progress.