Put an end to excuse making

by Rawly Bransom
editor-in-chief

Never in my life has anyone called me a bleeding heart liberal.
I voted for Bush in 2000, and I will most likely vote for him again.
I supported the war in Iraq even when the weapons of mass destruction were not found. I believe, as the world’s most powerful country, we have a responsibility to protect people who are abused and mistreated by the governments who should be protecting them, especially when our own security may be threatened.
However, even as a staunch supporter of the Bush administration, I believe enough is enough.
Donald Rumsfeld, secretary of defense, once again said he still believes that the United States will find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
Rumsfeld told the Senate Armed Services Committee U.S. weapons inspectors need more time to find WMD.
Rumsfeld said he is confident the pre-war intelligence about biological and chemical weapons in Iraq was accurate and they are simply hidden.
He then gave three reasons why he believes troops and weapon inspectors: weapons may have been transferred to a third country before U.S. troops arrived in March; weapons may have been dispersed throughout Iraq and hidden, or weapons existed but were destroyed by Iraqis before U.S. troops arrived.
As of now, the only weapons inspectors have found indicate Iraq did have ballistic missiles with a longer range than was allowed by the United Nations after the initial war on Iraq.
All of this rhetoric sounds like excuses. The United States alienated several allies when we took the hard stance against Iraq and went to war.
When Rumsfeld stands in front of the world saying it took us 10 months to find Saddam and it may take longer to find weapons, it seems like a child blaming an imaginary friend.
As an American, and a Bush supporter, I hope the administration will soon stand up, take the road less traveled by politicians and come clean.
Yes, we found no WMD, but we did rid the world of an evil dictator who has harmed, and could again harm, his own people as well as the world.
Saddam’s removal from power is enough of a reason in itself, but continually offering excuses makes our country seem weak and whiny in the eyes of the world.