Juan Cole says it succinctly:
Bush said in a speech on Thursday that he hopes Iraq will be like Israel, a democracy that faces terrorist violence but manages to retain its democratic character:
‘In Israel, Bush said, “terrorists have taken innocent human life for years in suicide attacks. The difference is that Israel is a functioning democracy and it’s not prevented from carrying out its responsibilities. And that’s a good indicator of success that we’re looking for in Iraq.” ‘
These words may be the stupidest ones ever uttered by a US president. Given their likely impact on the US war effort in the Middle East, they are downright criminal.
This comment is on a par with calling our military efforts a ‘crusade’ and it’s worse than naming the Afghan mission ‘Operation Infinite Justice’.
The problem is not in the plain intent of the words. Sadly, Iraq would indeed be fortunate to reach the level of security, civil rights, and prosperity Israel enjoys. The problem is that Israel is seen by most of the Muslim world as little better than the Nazi regime. At best, it is considered a Western imperial outpost that is oppressing Muslims and gobbling up their land.
Sunni jihadists having been making this exact case. In their propaganda, we’re looking to turn Iraq into another Israel and we’re using the Shi’a to oppress the Sunni just as the Jews oppress them in Palestine. Juan Cole comments:
If Bush had said something like that in 2002, you could have written it off as inexperience and lack of knowledge of the Middle East. But he has been the sitting president for so many years, and has had so much to do with the Middle East that this faux pas is just inexcusable…
…I don’t know whether to sob in grief or tear my hair out in frustration. How much longer do we have to suffer?
It’s a good question.
