Even I Could Have Thought of That

Karen Hughes, long-time friend, confidant, and advisor to President Bush II, who managed the White House through 9/11 and the invasion of Iraq -- now the Undersecretary of State in charge of our "image" abroad -- allowed yesterday that our image is not the best, and will take "years and maybe decades" to restore it.

Really. Imagine that.

Let's see . . . we invaded two sovereign predominantly Muslim nations (one with the help of other predominantly Christian nations, and the other -- Iraq -- all by ourselves), overthrew their governments (killing as we did all this perhaps 100,000 people), installed governments we thought would be to our liking, and have remained to occupy the land -- hoping against hope that it will all turn out OK someday.

In June the Pew Research people talked to people in Egypt, Pakistan, Jordan, and Turkey (they are on our side, right?) and found that "less than one-third had a favorable view of us." The major reason for such a bad report? Our continued involvement in Iraq.

We thousands, tens of thousands -- millions of people world-wide -- who opposed invading Iraq said that we were pretty sure that it would, far from eradicating terrorists, fan the flames of hatred toward us and inspire thousands upon thousands of young Muslims around the world to join the jihad. Many of us said that the invasion would be the greatest recuiting tool imaginable for Al-Quaida.

The administration's own people, of course, have now reported that yes, indeed, that's what happened.

And now even Karen Hughes can see that Iraq had certain negative effects on our "image" abroad.

Did the people who laid out the war plans, pressed for this war, led us into it, sacrificing thousands of Americans, spending $400 billion (before the war we imagined $200 billion, and thought that was high) . . . did they not imagine what it would do to our "image" for "years, even decades" (I would add centuries)? Were they not bright enough to see that?

Even I had some inkling. No, I was sure of it. And I'm not that bright.

I hope someone has talked to the "Lessons Learned" desk at the White House about this. But I doubt it.

Reference: AP report, Anti-American feelings are hard to beat" the Oshkosh Northwestern, September 29, 2006