Bush's extended leave of absence

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Jesús Torquemada, world news analyst. Photo: EiTB

U.S. President George W. Bush should take an extended leave of absence to study because he does not know much about history. His interpretation of the war in Vietnam could not be more mistaken.

So far, Bush was reluctant to compare the war in Iraq with the war in Vietnam. Most U.S. citizens think that was a disaster, they know they were defeated by an inferior enemy. This is why Bush did not want to draw the comparison.

However, he draws the comparison now when more and more people call for the withdrawal of the troops. He says it was a mistake to withdraw from Vietnam before finishing the job and adds the same mistake can not be made again.

No. The mistake in Vietnam was not to withdraw. It was, as in Iraq, to declare the war. And, if it comes to it, the mistake was the perseverance to stay there despite the fact that the circumstances suggested the best thing was to leave. And let's not forget the U.S. opposition to the war.

At the end, Nixon ordered the troops to withdraw and they did it in a rush. This is what Bush should learn from Vietnam and that is why he needs to take an extended leave of absence.