Bush is upbeat these days in preparation to elections towards the end of the year, notwithstanding the terrible beating he has taken post Iraq attack. It speaks volumes for the managed media power that his personal image within the country remains reasonably intact despite uncle Sam's nose-diving aboard. Yes, there is freedom of expression in USA and Bush is held responsible for waging an unjust war defying international norms.
He is also accused of false pretences about Iraq threatening safety of the Americans with a stockpile of weapons of mass destruction and being in league with terrorists who caused havoc on 9/11. His pre-emptive strike on hapless Afghanistan was meant to capture or kill Osama-bin-Laden America's erstwhile crony and now enemy number 1. In the process Bush showered death and destruction on innocent Afgahnis without tracing Osama, leave aside killing him. Incidentally after two years he is still alive and kicking. Bush invaded Iraq with 150,000 troops to defeat just one man Saddam their former chum, because he dared to defy US anti-Arab and pro-Palestine policies in the Middle East. He was accused of manufacturing nuclear and bio-chemical weapons the formulas for which were furnished by the West.
Bush said that he wanted to liberate the people of Iraq from Saddam's tyrannies. Instead he terrorised them with "awe and shock" brutal bombings causing untold miseries. Iraq lost the one sided war within three weeks but it took the occupation forces over six months to capture Saddam. A pro-American Provisional Governing Council has been installed but all power is in the hands of Paul Bremer representing Washington. Bush talks of elections, constitution and the rule of Iraqi people, but wants to stay put to win the wages of war by exploiting the country as long as possible under the pretext of reconstructing the ruined nation.
During three weeks shooting war American causalities totalled about 100 and Bush patted himself on the back for a facile no cost victory. But to his misfortune instead of greeting the victors as liberators Iraqis regard the GIs as occupiers and Saddam loyalists have launched a sort of guerrilla warfare against the occupation, taking a daily toll of American troops. Within a period of last four/five months over 500 have been killed. Shooting down of military helicopters and bombing of police stations etc., have become recurrent events. Albeit this activity is confined to the north around Baghdad but contrary to expectations after the capture of Saddam, the attacks have not died down but have intensified further. The public in America is perturbed at the bleeding of their sons day in and day out. This factor should work against Bush in election campaign but surprisingly his Democratic opponents have not exploited it thus far.
As far as his race for the second term in the Presidential Derby is concerned, the world outside America would like to see Bush beaten. However, within the country the odds seem to be favourable. Firstly the hard-line Republicans, even those not happy with him, would stick to the party loyalty. Jingoistic punters, imbibed by patriotism, would put their money on Bush the warmonger. Many undecided and open-minded voters have been brainwashed to believe that Bush has saved them from the inroads of Islamic terrorists on a crusade to destroy Christian America. Above all the Democrats have failed to throw up a candidate with enough intellectual savvy or failing that sex-appeal to sway the women voters.
The Jew lobby and mega corporations being behind Bush, the state of economy is not likely to be a critical factor on the polling day. Going by the State of the Union speech last week, Bush sounded buoyant as he received repeated standing ovation when he reiterated his prerogative to strike any nation considered rogue and, therefore, a danger to America. He promised them the Moon and Mars in the years to come. But here on the planet earth, he is stuck with Iraq. Ayatullah Ali-al-Shistani, the acknowledged leader of the Shias in the south, has given an ultimatum that he would not accept any transfer of power to Washington's proxy Iraqis and has demanded democratic general elections.
Bush is, therefore, in a fix as the proposed alternative of selecting a government through provincial caucuses, is a non-starter. Intervention of UNO is the only solution to save face. Having rubbed UNO the wrong way, Bush would have to swallow his pride and beseech Kofi Annan to bail him out of the sticky situation.
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