No! George Bush Didn't 'Go It Alone' in Iraq

December 22nd, 2011 9:57 PM

New York Times reporter Mark Landler’s “White House Memo” on Sunday furthered the myth that President George W. Bush unilaterally invaded Iraq: “Iraq, a War Obama Didn’t Want, Shaped His Foreign Policy.”

"Mr. Obama made much of his commitment to a multilateral foreign policy, in contrast to President George W. Bush’s unilateral invasion of Iraq," wrote Landler.

That, his advisers say, grew out of a conviction the United States needed to work with others and forge consensus to restore its moral standing.

But it also reflects a sober economic reality: with more than $800 billion in costs from the Iraq war -- and nearly $450 billion from Afghanistan -- the United States can no longer afford another big, go-it-alone military campaign.

Sigh. Will Times reporters ever stop promoting the myth of Bush sending America into Iraq alone? For the record, the United States actually led a 30-nation coalition in Iraq (35 countries joined the fight in Afghanistan).