It took a long while, but the New York Times editorial board has seen enough of the war in Iraq to know that it is now “time for the United States to leave Iraq, without any more delay than the Pentagon needs to organize an orderly exit.” The paper of record makes the case in a lengthy, 1,700-word mega-editorial in today’s edition.
The Times’ editors acknowledge that they have, like many Americans, “put off that conclusion, waiting for a sign that President Bush was seriously trying to dig the United States out of the disaster he created by invading Iraq without sufficient cause, in the face of global opposition, and without a plan to stabilize the country afterward.” But the editorial board isn’t waiting anymore.
President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney have used demagoguery and fear to quell Americans’ demands for an end to this war. They say withdrawing will create bloodshed and chaos and encourage terrorists. Actually, all of that has already happened — the result of this unnecessary invasion and the incompetent management of this war.
This country faces a choice. We can go on allowing Mr. Bush to drag out this war without end or purpose. Or we can insist that American troops are withdrawn as quickly and safely as we can manage — with as much effort as possible to stop the chaos from spreading.
Editor & Publisher’s Greg Mitchell argues that the Times’ piece “may one day be viewed as a historic editorial.” Noting that a handful of major dailies reached the same conclusion sooner, Mitchell adds that the Times’ detailed argument comes at “a critical moment,” which the paper may influence with “its considerable weight.”
We’ll see. I’m skeptical that any editorial can have a sweeping an impact on a debate of this magnitude, but the Times’ piece is both comprehensive and compelling. Take a look.
