Writing in the Washington Monthly, Robert Dreyfuss argues that the prospects for Iraq after a US pullout are not as bad as some have suggested. As evidence for this, he quotes a statement from President Bush out of context:

President Bush himself has warned darkly that after controlling Iraq, Islamic militants will “establish a radical Islamic empire that spans from Spain to Indonesia.”

However, President Bush didn’t say that militants will establish an empire from Spain to Indonesia — does anyone think the US would let that happen? The President actually said that the militants want to “establish a radical Islamic empire”:

Third, the militants believe that controlling one country will rally the Muslim masses, enabling them to overthrow all moderate governments in the region, and establish a radical Islamic empire that spans from Spain to Indonesia. With greater economic and military and political power, the terrorists would be able to advance their stated agenda: to develop weapons of mass destruction, to destroy Israel, to intimidate Europe, to assault the American people, and to blackmail our government into isolation.

Bush did warn against dismissing these goals as unrealistic:

Some might be tempted to dismiss these goals as fanatical or extreme. Well, they are fanatical and extreme — and they should not be dismissed.

However, he certainly did not assert that militants “will” establish an empire, as Dreyfuss states. Shouldn’t the Monthly correct this?