Bush's terrible and terrifying war on terror

Sometimes coincidences are just too interesting to ignore.

This morning I read various articles about George Bush's soon-to-be-infamous Iraq speech in Philadelphia. The highlight, or if you prefer, lowlight of the speech came (as it so often does) when he went "off the page" to answer questions from the audience.

Bush: How many Iraqi citizens have died in this war? I would say 30,000, more or less, have died as a result of the initial incursion and the ongoing violence against Iraqis. We've lost about 2,140 of our own troops in Iraq.

Yes, for the first time ever, the Bush administration put a number (many would say a conservative number) on the civilian body count since the beginning of the illegal invasion of Iraq. And although other White House denizens tried to distance the President from his own words by saying that "Bush was not giving an official figure but simply repeating public estimates", the numbers were out there.

However, the most honest... and the most troubling... of Bush's statements was yet to come:

Bush: I made a tough decision. And knowing what I know today, I'd make the decision again. Removing Saddam Hussein makes this world a better place and America a safer country.

It's the Bush mantra: no regret, no remorse, no repentance. Yes, thanks to the bloodshed in Iraq, America is safer and the world is a better place.

Which of course leads me to the "interesting coincidence" I mentioned earlier.

This afternoon, from the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala, I received the following communiqué which I publish here for the enlightenment of all American Citizens:

PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

1. This Public Announcement updates information on the continuing threat of terrorist actions and violence against Americans and interests overseas. This supersedes the Worldwide Caution dated August 2, 2005 and expires on June 12, 2006.

2. The Department of State remains concerned about the continued threat of terrorist attacks, demonstrations and other violent actions against U.S. citizens and interests overseas. Ongoing events in Iraq have resulted in demonstrations and associated violence in several countries. Americans are reminded that demonstrations and rioting can occur with little or no warning.

3. Current information suggests that al-Qaida and affiliated organizations continue to plan terrorist attacks against U.S. interests in multiple regions, including Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. These attacks may employ a wide variety of tactics to include assassinations, kidnappings, hijackings and bombings.

4. Extremists may elect to use conventional or non-conventional weapons, and target both official and private interests. The hotel bombings in Jordan in early November illustrate how terrorists exploit vulnerabilities associated with soft targets. Additional examples of such targets include residential areas, business offices, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, schools, public areas and locales where Americans gather in large numbers, including during holidays.

5. In the wake of the July 2005 London bombings and the March 2004 train attacks in Madrid, Americans are reminded of the potential for terrorists to attack public transportation systems. In addition, extremists may also select aviation and maritime services as possible targets.

6. U.S. citizens are strongly encouraged to maintain a high level of vigilance, be aware of local events, and take the appropriate steps to bolster their personal security. For additional information, please refer to "A Safe Trip Abroad" found at http://travel.state.gov.

7. U.S. Government facilities worldwide remain at a heightened state of alert. These facilities may temporarily close or periodically suspend public services to assess their security posture. In those instances, U.S. embassies and consulates will make every effort to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens. Americans abroad are urged to monitor the local news and maintain contact with the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.

8. As the Department continues to develop information on any potential security threats to U.S. citizens overseas, it shares credible threat information through its Consular Information Program documents, available on the Internet at http://travel.state.gov. In addition to information on the Internet, travelers may obtain up-to-date information on security conditions by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the U.S. or outside the U.S. and Canada on a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444.

Now I have a question, not for President Bush, but for all the other U.S. citizens out there: "do you feel safer America?"

I'll close this journal entry with one final quote from Bush's speech:

Bush: Democracy's only going to succeed if people say, 'My life is going to be better.' I mean, it's no different than a campaign here, you know, 'Vote for me. I want to help improve your life.'

Tags: Guatemala, Bush, Iraq, Terrorism, Speech