Dear Mr. President, ...Time To Leave the Sandbox

An Open Letter to President George W Bush

Dear Mr. President,

During your address to the nation of January 10, 2007, when you announced yet another troop surge in Iraq, you told the country that "the year ahead will demand more patience, sacrifice and resolve." I agree Mr. Bush. The continued occupation of Iraq and the Global War on Terror will, indeed demand further sacrifice.

Much has already been sacrificed to support your failed policies and mission in Iraq. You have asked Americans to sacrifice their lives, their security and their civil liberties under the guise of fighting the War on Terror.

You had the support of your Congress, your Allies and the American people after September 11^th, but you squandered it with hubris, willful negligence and reckless disregard for life and truth.

While the veracity of your arguments to support the invasion of Iraq is a matter still open for considerable debate, and while I duly recognize that regardless of how America found herself in that war to begin with, the fact remains that you are there and as the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan has devolved into a morass of formidable proportions, it cannot and will not easily be resolved.

You were quoted in 1999 as saying "One of the keys to being seen as a great leader is to be seen as a Commander-In-Chief." and "My father had all this political capital built up when he drove the Iraqis out of Kuwait and he wasted it....If I have a chance to invade, if I had that much capital, I'm not going to waste it. I'm going to get everything passed that I want to get passed and I'm going to have a successful presidency."

While Vice President Dick Cheney was Chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee under President Regean, he was quoted as saying the following "Start a small war. Pick a country where there is justification you can jump on, go ahead and invade."

Given these sentiments, and due to your recent delivery of not-so-thinly-veiled threats against Iran and Syria we have significant cause to be concerned.

- So let me respectfully submit the following for your consideration: