locals oppose Bush’s plan, but what’s the solution? 

“The situation in Iraq is unacceptable to the American people and it is unacceptable to me,” President Bush said in his national address on Jan. 10. “Where mistakes have been made, the responsibility rests with me.”

Bush’s words came as he prepared to announce the deployment of 21,500 more troops to Iraq, heightening his commitment to an already unpopular war. The highly anticipated announcement sparked a number of planned protests the following day, including morning rallies on bridges over Interstate 95 in Greenland and Route 16 in Dover, and gatherings at the State House and in Portsmouth’s Market Square.

More than 3,000 American troops have died in Iraq, and Democrats say the shift in party tides following November’s midterm election reflects the public’s desire for change.

About 10 protesters lined the Breakfast Hill Road bridge over Interstate 95 on the morning of Jan. 11, displaying anti-war signs for motorists. That evening, about 50 protesters gathered in Market Square to hold signs and candles.
Here are some of their thoughts:

“I’m wondering if anybody can remember what it is we’re fighting for,” said former state Sen. Burt Cohen, of New Castle. “(Bush) is clearly delusional, and people are losing their lives and limbs, and for what?”

“I thought it was pretty crazy,” said Steve Diamond, of Dover. “He’s saying it’s a new plan, and most of the press picked up on that whole idea, but it’s the same old plan, only bigger.”

“There are problems in the world that the United States is not into, and this is one of them that we should be out of, like all the others,” said Don Green, of Portsmouth.

“He’s obviously not listening to the people,” said Jo Lenardi, of Portsmouth.

“It seems pretty clear what the U.S. people want and what the Iraqi people want, and to do the opposite is a slap in the face to both,” said Amy Antonucci, of Madbury, a member of Seacoast Peace Response.

Signs flying at the bridge in Greenland and at Market Square in Portsmouth attacked both the war effort and the Bush administration. One large banner read “Stop the war and bring the troops home now.” Another said “Honk against the surge, no more troops.” Others featured pictures of Bush and Dick Cheney beside words like “violent extremists” and “liars.”

A steady barrage of enthusiastic honks rose from the highway, and supporters shouted from car windows. In Market Square, a woman at the bus stop yelled, “I support peace,” while a man by her side contributed, “Bush is a dingleberry!”

Details of Bush’s plan include sending five brigades of troops to Baghdad to help Iraqi forces secure neighborhoods and to train them for future operations. He said 80 percent of the country’s sectarian violence occurs within 30 miles of the capital. 

The plan calls for an additional 4,000 troops to be sent to Anbar Province to help Iraqi and tribal forces pressure al Qaeda members and other terrorists. Troops will also seek to prevent Iran and Syria from providing material support and training for enemies of the U.S.

The president’s plan received key support from U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who spoke in favor of the policy the day after the address.

“I believe that together these moves will give the Iraqis and Americans the best chance of success,” McCain said. “If we walk away from Iraq, we’ll be back, possibly in the context of a wider war in the world’s most volatile region.”

But the plan has generated a great deal of skepticism, even within the Republican Party, and Democrats in Congress have vowed to block the surge.

“I don’t think it is the worst foreign policy blunder since Vietnam. I think it’s the biggest foreign policy blunder in the history of our country,” said Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.).”

In his address, Bush said abandoning Iraq would leave the nation vulnerable to insurgents and turn the region into a safe haven for terrorists. But those who favor withdrawal feel Bush’s Iraq policies have fanned the flames of anti-American sentiment and created more terrorists than existed before the war.

Opinions regarding what should be done about the Iraq situation vary even among the war’s staunchest opponents.
Some Seacoast protesters, like Green and Diamond, said the situation calls for an immediate withdrawal of all troops.

“Dominating Iraq is not what America’s supposed to be all about,” Diamond said. “If we’re about freedom, we should let Iraq determine its own future, not try to impose it on them.”

Others, like Cohen, favor a phased redeployment over a period of months or years. “I think a phased withdrawal, setting an absolute date so that the people of Iraq will know that they are going to have to handle it on their own. We can’t stay forever,” Cohen said. “I’d like to see it within a year.”

Jo Lenardi and her brother, Tony Lenardi, agreed with Cohen, but would like to see even quicker action.

“I want to see a timeline with commitment,” Tony Lenardi said. “We need a timeline and we need to get out real soon.”

Mark West, of Nottingham, said the solution should begin with increased dialogue with neighboring countries. He believes Bush’s go-it-alone attitude has made the United States and the rest of the world less safe.

But West, like many others, admitted he does not have all the answers for Iraq, and he is not certain whether troops should be withdrawn right away.

“I don’t have the solution. I don’t know if pulling out will cause more death or whatever, but this certainly isn’t working,” he said.

Despite the strong opinions of those who took to the streets last week, demonstrations were relatively small. Many of the protesters out on Thursday lived through the Vietnam War era, when public opposition to war seemed much more prevalent.
“We went through all that and it’s like our country didn’t learn any lesson,” said Maryhop Brandon, of Eliot, Maine. “We feel despondent, some of us. I think we need more support.”

Cohen surmised that most of the general public feels powerless to do anything about the Iraq war. But he said the November election results sent a powerful message to Washington.

“They voted on November 7 for a huge change,” he said. “The message was clear all across the country: Get American troops back from Iraq.”

Monica Smith, of Durham, noted that the Iraq War still has not come close to reaching the death toll that enraged citizens during the Vietnam War.

“In Vietnam we managed to kill off 500,000 American soldiers,” Smith said. “We’re not quite there yet and we’re hoping that we won’t get there.”

Bush himself acknowledged the escalation of troops will lead to continued bloodshed in Iraq. But he remains steadfast in his conviction that the war is in the nation’s best interest.

“Even if our new strategy works exactly as planned, deadly acts of violence will continue, and we must expect more Iraqi and American casualties,” the president said. “The question is whether our new strategy will bring us closer to success. I believe that it will.”