On the Iraqi War fifth anniversary

Americans offered a much more negative view of the Iraq war than President George Bush’s verdict on its fifth anniversary today.

Mr Bush said removing Sadam Hussein from power was the right decision, the war on terror is “a fight America can and must win” and Iraq is “the place where Arabs joined with Americans to drive al-Qaida out”.

But a poll published today found 54% of Americans viewed the war as a “total failure” or “mostly a failure”.

In its front page story, Karen DeYoung wrote in the Washington Post: “For a majority of Americans, today marks the fifth anniversary of the start of an Iraq war that was not worth fighting, one that has cost thousands of lives and more than half a trillion dollars.

Protests were taking place across the US, including at the American Petroleum Institute in Washington, where dozens of protesters held signs which read “Out of Iraq” and “No war, no warming,” and chanted “No blood for Oil!” College students from New Jersey to North Dakota planned walkouts, while students at the University of Minnesota vowed to shut down military recruiting offices on campus.

[Evening Echo, Ireland]