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Vice President Dick Cheney was at it again the other day, insisting that the occupation of Iraq is "a remarkable success story."
This raises the question of how much success the United States, and Iraq, can stand.
But there is also the issue of whether such an inane claim means that Mr. Cheney and President Bush are willing to say anything to get elected, or that they so separated from reality that they now can make themselves believe anything? And, which would be worse?
Anyway, news of one "success" after another piles up. The past week’s triumphs alone include the slaughter of about 50 newly trained Iraqi soldiers, which Iraq’s interim prime minister, Ayad Allawi, who can fairly be called an American flunky, blamed on "great negligence" by the U.S.-led coalition.
Also, a State Department security officer was killed, and bombings and hostage-taking continued unabated. Action Against Hunger, an international humanitarian group, suspended Iraq operations because of deteriorating security.
But the news that the Bush-Cheney team should find most positive is that almost 380 tons of conventional explosives - which could produce bombs powerful enough to blow up buildings or airplanes, or even to detonate nuclear weapons - are missing from one of Saddam Hussein’s most sensitive munitions compounds.
Sen. John Kerry may have gone too far by implying the President allowed the explosives to fall into terrorists’ hands, since it’s not known whether the explosives were at the military depot when advancing U.S. troops reached it. On the other hand, Mr. Bush’s inadequate assurance, after two days of silence, that the Pentagon is looking into the matter can be translated: We may say something after the election.
What does seem to be clear is this:
A warning about the explosives cache from the International Atomic Energy Agency, delivered before the war began in March 2003, was not forwarded to U.S. commanders. Instead of safeguarding the area, American troops moved on to Baghdad, and the munitions site was looted by Iraqis.
It is worth recalling that preventing dangerous weapons from falling into the hands of terrorists was precisely the central justification for war.
Too few troops to secure Iraq. Poor planning. Communications breakdowns.
Perhaps it’s a good thing Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney don’t admit mistakes. They wouldn’t know where to start.