This column will appear around the celebration of Martin Luther King’s birthday.  It’s fitting to begin with his wisdom.  “Our scientific power,” he said, “has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.”  Amen, Reverend, Amen.

Is there anyone reading this, whether they voted for President Bush, Senator Kerry, Ralph Nader or Michael Badnarik who honestly believes this war in Iraq is going well? Statements to the contrary from public relation press secretaries, self-serving politicians and career-motivated generals only remind me of journalist I. F. Stone, Editor of the Nation, who used to teach his young reporters, "All you have to remember are two words: GOVERNMENTS LIE."

All governments lie, not just this administration. Democrat and Republican, American and foreign, democratic and totalitarian governments lie. In their disinformation, obfuscation and spin essentially they lie. So no matter what the administration says about Iraqi sovereignty, freedom, democracy and elections being on track, the evidence on the ground is increasingly and persuasively to the contrary.

In fact, many believe that this war and its aftermath is a disaster: a disaster in the loss of military and civilian lives.  A disaster in our battle for “the hearts and minds” of the Iraqis and other Muslims.  A disaster for our economy.  A disaster for America’s leadership in the world.

The situation in Iraq is God-awful. It’s what the military calls FUBAR: Fouled (the polite, printable version)-Up-Beyond-All-Recognition. There has been an inept litany of misinformation, miscalculations and ham-fisted decisions: the false claims of weapons of mass destruction. The unfounded, disingenuous linking of Iraq with 9/11 and Al Quaeda. 
The deployment of insufficient troops. The disbanding of the Iraqi army.  The lack of armor and equipment for our soldiers. The torture of prisoners. The on-again, off-again, on-again battle for Fallujah. To the rest of the world this administration appears incompetent. It’s not been “shock and awe” for the Iraqis; it’s been “slog and awful” for our troops. God help the military caught in this mess –- and that’s a prayer.

The first President Bush, in explaining why he did not pursue Iraqi troops into Baghdad in the Gulf War, said he did not want to end up with occupying troops trying to police a bitterly divided land.  That of course is what has happened in spades. Moreover, the insurgents and terrorists are blocking all efforts to rebuild and stabilize the nation; most of the Iraqi people understandably want the occupiers out, and in the meantime our troops are suffering and dying.

The Powell Doctrine, based on Colin Powell’s experience as an army officer in Vietnam, was on target. Before we go to war, he asserted, we should have clearly defined objectives, more than enough troops to do the job, political support at home, and a clear exit strategy.

Donald Rumsfeld and his neo-cons rejected Powell’s battle-tested advice. Powell, however, did not resign.  He should have. It would have been a courageous service to the nation and our now beleaguered troops.   Instead he supported the President. The administration in turn frightened and shamed (some would say deceived) the nation into backing this war.

In another war in another time, another political leader observed that, “Of course people don’t want war.  But after all, it’s the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it’s always a simple matter to drag the people along….  The people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders.  That is easy.  All you have to do it tell them they are being attacked, denounce the pacifists for their lack of patriotism and for exposing the country to greater danger.”  Do those words have a familiar ring? Those were the words of Hermann Goring, one of the leading Nazis tried at the Nuremberg. The tragedy is that this administration has perhaps unknowingly followed Gorings’s political cynicism instead of Powell’s prudent advice.

Like many Americans I have a ribbon on my car saying SUPPORT OUR TROUPS, but I also have a bumper sticker proclaiming WAR ISN’T WORKING. Those messages are not contradictory. How can we support our troops in this ill-fated war? We should pressure our government to replace them. We should get them out of Iraq as fast as we humanely can. In the meantime we should provide them with the armor, the equipment and protection they need, and when too many of them come back to the VA physically and mentally scarred we should provide them with the best medical care and benefits this nation can provide.  Despite the government’s claims, we are not doing “all we can” for them.

Iraq is a mess.  As the troops say it’s FUBAR, but we must support them in the middle of this muddle.  It’s not their fault. Armor them. Supply them. Protect them. Replace them.  Pray for them and, for God’s sake, bring them home.