Jim Austin

His previous columns are archived HERE.

JIM AUSTIN

Through the Looking Glass

PUTNEY, VT | This past week Iraq's Prime Minister Maliki offered amnesty to insurgents in Iraq. This has sent both the Republican administration and the Democrats into the spin cycle of our national washing machine.

Administration ventriloquist dummies mouthed some positive platitudes on the Sunday talk show circuit. Senator John Warner, a Virginia Republican was quoted as saying that this was "a very positive step forward" for the new Iraqi government.

He went on to say that naturally he would oppose any amnesty for those who had killed any Americans.

Hmmm, that would leave…? Will there be rejoicing among the hubcap thieves and parking violators of Baghdad?

The well-hidden vein of truth to these pronouncements comes back, of course, to the November elections.

On the one, hand administration officials must welcome any independent actions by the Iraqi government. It shows that they are actually governing by trying to bring an end to the violence that is killing both Americans and Iraqis.

At the same time (and here's the problem), Republicans must be seen to condemn any amnesty for those who attempt to kill Americans.

The voting public will swoon and turn away from the GOP if they interpret this amnesty as a "get out of Abu Gharib free" card for killers of our troops. The pols must simultaneously applaud the amnesty proposal for it's proof of an independent Iraq and condemn it for offering up the olive branch to murderers of our troops.

Democrats have an easier row to hoe regarding Maliki's pronouncement. Any value it may have will be ignored so that they can emphasize the "freedom for murderers" aspect.

The Dems will use amnesty as a bludgeon to discredit Maliki's government that will in turn hurt the GOP in the November elections. Absolutely nothing is as it seems in our Congress on either side of the aisle. As Alice said of her visit to Wonderland:

"Wouldn't it be nice if something made sense for a change?"

First of all, if there is ever to be peace in Iraq there must be an amnesty for the fighters.

If this is a war, which it is, then when the war ends neither we nor the Iraqi government can seek out and prosecute the fighters. Why would a warrior ever agree to a peace if they thought they would be thrown in jail and perhaps executed for their role as an insurgent?

We prosecuted some of the German General Staff at Nuremberg but we released the bulk of the surviving soldiers to go back and try and rebuild Germany.

In any event, this seems like a strange time to offer an amnesty. Shouldn't it be offered from a position of strength?

Hiding in the Green Zone and offering up peace feelers to the enemy can only be interpreted by the insurgents as a sign of weakness.

This murky, useless offer of amnesty fits perfectly with the bizarre comedy of deception that has marked this war.

We heard about WMD's and nuclear weapons development in the days preceding our invasion. All lies.

We were fed some fairy tales about a connection between Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Laden. All lies.

Every time Bush speaks at any length about this war he brings up 9/11, and nobody even notices or cares to correct him anymore.

Does it strike you as sad and somewhat macabre that we supported both Saddam Hussein and the Taliban only to have to go to war against them at a later date?

We are beginning to lose more soldiers in Afghanistan. The Taliban are reorganizing and will not go away. They are the ones (with our help) who drove super power Russia out of their country. Now our military strength in Afghanistan has been siphoned off by the second front in Iraq.

We could easily 'lose' both countries, leaving a veritable Disneyland for terrorists. If you think it can't happen just take a moment to examine the new government in Palestine.

Hamas is a terrorist organization. They are now the duly elected government of that benighted country.

The Mad Hatter and the rest of the tea party guests are hoping that voters won't notice until after November.