Departure from Iraq

Today the Iraqis are voting in a US controlled election. In an interview three days ago with New York Times correspondents, President Bush is reported to have said "that he would withdraw American forces from Iraq if the new government that is elected on Sunday asked him to do so, but that he expected Iraq's first democratically elected leaders would want the troops to remain as helpers, not as occupiers."

The elected leaders won't ask for a US withdrawal any time soon. They are identified as collaborators with a foreign infidel army of occupation. Their only authority is today's election, and the authority for today's election is our military force. They know that if that force leaves they will all be dead within a week.

Yesterday, Reuters reported that "President Bush said on Saturday that the U.S. mission must keep going to help the new government get its footing." I hope Bush knows what that really means. I know the Iraqis do.