Bush's "Credibility Fixation" on Iraq You know Washington is sinking into quicksand whenever you start hearing that the U.S. should go through with its militaristic plans because if it doesn't, we would lose credibility. I hadn't heard that hoary rationalization since the darkest days of Vietnam, but there it was again, in the mouth of James Schlesinger, the former CIA Director, Secretary of Defense, and Secretary of Energy and all around grand-poohbah of the Washington establishment. Here's what he told The New York Times: "Given all we have said as a leading world power about the necessity of regime change in Iraq . . . our credibility would be badly damaged if that regime change did not take place." Of all the reasons to go to war against Iraq, that's the worst possible one. That's like saying, "OK, it may be a stupid idea, but since we've said it so many times, we've got to do it." http://www.progressive.org/webex/wx073102.html Before Rumsfeld and Bush go off half-cocked, let's assess the short-term rationality of this planned invasion. First of all, it would be against international law, since Iraq has not attacked the United States and is not imminently preparing to do so. Second, it would be against the U.S. Constitution for Bush to do this without a declaration of war from Congress. Third, it would mess up our relations with our allies, and further enrage the Muslim world, which is the last thing the United States needs right now. Fourth, it could wreak havoc with our economy, which is already wobbly enough. And fifth and foremost, it could kill tens of thousands of people, many of them innocent civilians