Bush: Iraq Will Be Like Korea, and We're Never Leaving

President Bush said Wedneday that he envisions a long-term U.S. troop presence in Iraq similar to the one in South Korea, where American forces have been stationed for more than 50 years.

This is beyond insane. It's beyond stupid. It's something only Bush and his cadre of idiots would think of.

First of all, there is no better recruiting tool for the anti-U.S. insurgency and al-Qaeda (in Iraq and all over the world) than for them to point to Iraq and say, "See, America wants to occupy Iraq forever."

Second, as Dan Froomkin points out, not only are there are many vast differences between South Korea and Iraq, but Americans overwhelmingly want to bring troops home from Iraq NOW, not in 50 years.

And finally, does this not prove once and for all that we did not go in just because of weapons of mass destruction, but rather to establish a dominating presence in a country rich with oil? Look at this embassy we're building there, the biggest in the world! Do you think anyone looks at a $600 million building and figures the owner isn't staying for a while?

Bush and his GOP lackeys got us into this debacle, and it's clear that it's going to take a new president to get us out of it. It's also clear that that's exactly what Bush is planning on, leaving his successor with the biggest mess this country's ever been in for him/her to deal with. Now that's leadership.

Update: Oh by the way, we're using forced labor and obscene working conditions to get this embassy built. More great public relations for the "Great Satan".