Joe Lauria: Why Bush has Won in Iraq and the Rest of Us Have Lost

The following is an excerpt from A Political Odyssey: The Rise of American Militarism and One Man's Fight to Stop It. Sen. Mike Gravel will join me for a reading and discussion at the Barnes and Nobles at 82nd Street and Broadway in Manhattan on Wed. evening, Jul 9, at 7 pm: From a human viewpoint, the invasion of Iraq has been an unmitigated disaster. It has caused regional instability for the foreseeable future. But seen from Bush's White House, the war has been "won" and victory is being consolidated. Bush meant it when he said "Mission Accomplished." He had four main objectives in invading Iraq. They have all been met. That more than a million innocent civilians have been killed or driven from their homes is [for him] beside the point. The fulfilled objectives are: · Depose the no longer useful Saddam Hussein and install... [read full story]