Hominid Views

Uh-oh. Spook-turned-university-President-turned-Defense Secretary Gates is trying to make Congress feel real bad about their proposed resolution:

At his first Pentagon news conference since taking office Dec. 18, Gates was asked whether a congressional resolution criticizing Bush’s plan would offer the insurgents new hope.

“It’s pretty clear that a resolution that in effect says that the general going out to take command of the arena shouldn’t have the resources he thinks he needs to be successful certainly emboldens the enemy and our adversaries,” Gates said Friday.

I’m not really sure what enemies he is talking about. Is he talking about “Iranian agents” in Iraq? The waring religious factions within Iraq? Or are there still some al Qaeda terrorists in Iraq?

Maybe Gates refers to the Cubians, al Qaeda, or the Syrians, or the Iranians, or ETA, or North Korea, or Hizballah, or the Real IRA, or the Communist Party of Philippines, or Venezuela or the Colombian paramilitaries or the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, that will be “emboldened?” It’s unclear. But here are some other things that have probably contributed to emboldened enemies:

• Illegally invading a sovereign nation, in contradiction of international law.
• Leaving weapons and explosive stashes, formerly under U.N. control, unguarded for insurgents to loot.
• Needlessly killing tens or hundreds of thousands of civilians in Iraq.
• Chest thumping contests with Syria, Iran, Cuba, Venezuela, and North Korea.
• Turning over Saddam Hussein to a lawless lynch mob.
• Incompetence in managing the post-invasion period in Iraq, leading to a degenerating environment for Iraqis.
• Sending more soldiers into Iraq to be killed and injured.
• Widespread general arrogance and condescension on the part of the U.S. in dealing with foreign governments.

I mean, with so many things already emboldening the “enemies of the U.S.,” it is hard to imagine that a little domestic political squabble would really have that much additional to offer.