The Awful Truth About Iraq
by James Carroll, Boston Globe Newspaper

"The day I take office as president of the United States," a true American leader would declare, "I will order the immediate withdrawal of the entire American combat force in Iraq." "When I am president," a true American leader would declare, "I will do all in my power to fight the fact and perception that we have in any way profited from our invasion of Iraq." Ending occupation and preventing exploitation are, of course, corollary to the far more difficult acknowledgement a new president must make -- to griefstruck American families, to the Iraqi people, and to the world: "What we did in Iraq was a mistake. Innocent people died. The fabric of international order was torn. We see that and have moved to undo it. But there is no undoing the unnecessary suffering we caused. And for that we are sorry."

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