America in Iraq: the cost of war at home and abroad

Today, on these pages of The Seattle Times, we begin a series of editorials on America's war in Iraq.

The series will appear over five days, accompanied by other opinions on the war, its strategy and its pernicious insurgency.

Following President George W. Bush's address to the nation from Fort Bragg, N.C., Tuesday and following the steady rise of insurgency attacks on military targets and civilian victims over the past months, Iraq — instead of the more nebulous war on terrorism — has become the lode star of the presidency. Everything points to it. Military historian and analyst John Keegan writes in "The Iraq War" that the battles of 2003 formed "a mysterious war." It was mysterious because of the empty search for terrible weapons, mysterious to planners because the Iraqi people, or their army, did not fully engage in the war, and, finally, mysterious in its aftermath.

Often, Keegan writes, by the time coalition forces appeared, the Iraqi army was gone, disappearing into the civilian population.

"The phenomenon was disconcerting, particularly to military theorists committed to the view that war is animated by politics. Such theorists expect the defenders of a country under attack to resist, because the attack threatens the essentials of their society," Keegan writes.

Iraq, he concludes, was not an ordinary country. It was not merely an artificial creation; it was also, under Saddam Hussein, a monstrosity.

That monstrosity is now ours. While the Bush administration emphasizes the future belongs to the Iraqi people, America is indelibly in Iraq. The cost of that, and the way the war has changed from victory over Saddam to mysterious fights over potholes, are the subjects of these editorials.

The first editorial opinion, today, concludes America's purpose in Iraq is over and the soldiers should be brought home. Realism demands that no firm date can be set. But as in Vietnam and Somalia, Americans eventually do come home. From Iraq, it should be sooner rather than later.

At home, the cost of war is escalating. Editorials in the coming days will examine the cost to America of the ongoing conflict, the lack of preparation for the war's end, the extension of the war into personal liberties, and prisoner containment and treatment.

America, in Iraq and in nearly every war, supports its troops: Female Marines killed, sailors and airmen dead or wounded, tankers and infantry forming columns to strike at a ghostly insurgency — all the heroism of American arms is on display in Iraq. These editorial opinions ask the price of such heroism.

Each is written by a member of The Seattle Times editorial board, and discussed and argued here. Nothing about this is easy. Americans too often are asked to support our government through support of our military men and women. In these editorials, we attempt to separate the vivid emotions of war from policy and ask where the policy is taking us.

Life, liberty and notebooks — Each summer, The Seattle Times opinion pages offer readers participation in a fund to equip every child with the tools of school for next fall. Donations to the School Suppy Drive provide needy children with the pens, pencils, backpacks and other stuff that prepare them for the first day of school. In previous years, the weekly fund drive has raised enough money to make a solid difference in outfitting children for the school year ahead.

Details of the annual School Supply Drive of The Seattle Times are on the next page and will be repeated throughout the weeks of summer.

James F. Vesely's column appears Sunday on editorial pages of The Times. His e-mail address is: jvesely@seattletimes.com