Demagogue

Okay, so let's get this straight.

1. The principal reason the Bush administration gave for invading Iraq was to seek out and destroy non-existent weapons of mass destruction.

2. Once it became clear that no WMDs were present in Iraq, the Bush administration justified our military presence there on the basis that our military would help create a stable, democratic Iraq and thus remove it from the "axis of evil."

3. In recent speeches, the principal reason the Bush administration gives for keeping U.S. troops in Iraq is that we are needed to train and support Iraq's new army. As Bush himself said in late May:

"Difficult and dangerous work remains ... and our strategy is clear: We will train Iraqi forces so they can take the fight to the enemy and defend their own country, and then our troops will come home with the honor they have earned."

So, then, does it bother the Bush administration that the Iraqis have agreed to receive military training from a charter member of the "axis of evil" -- Iran? According to today's Washington Post (page A-10, print edition only):

"Iraqi officials said Thursday they had signed an agreement with Iran to receive military training for their fledgling armed forces, a function that has been supervised by the United States. Iran's defense minister called the accord a 'new chapter' in relations between Iraq and Iran."

Care to comment, Secretary Rumsfeld? Mr. President?