No topic is more important to the United States, and the entire world, than that of the current war in Iraq. This conflict affects not only our international relationships and standing, but our domestic situation as well. From sources on all sides of this issue, the war has been characterized as one to prohibit Saddam Hussein from acquiring WMD's, a war for oil, part of the war on terror, an ego trip by President Bush, an attempt to establish democracy in the Middle East, an expansion of the American superpower empire, a Jewish plot to save Israel, a neo-con fantasy, and who knows what else. The execution of the war has been labeled totally incompetent, the greatest blunder in American foreign policy, and although not yet over, a failure.
No matter what your position on this war, you must agree that it has caused a great division within the nation, putting families and friends at odds with each other. It is also making us think about our role in the world, and what the priorities of our nation should be going forward. No one can afford to sit on the sidelines as a spectator in this. And, as important as they are, the reasons we went to war must yield to the vital question of what to do next. There is a proverb in the Old Testament of the Bible which states, "Where there is no vision, the people perish"! This time in our history is, I believe, a time for leaders with vision. We must put aside partisan politics for the greater good. It appears, as you might expect, that this is much easier said than done.
As I write this today, March 11, a troop surge is underway to secure the city of Bahgdad, and a long overdue regional conference with the U.S. and the neighboring countries of the region has begun. Yet, the political climate at home remains bitter. All over the news is a video of an American mom with a son in Iraq having a confrontation with Democratic congressman David Obey. The just concluded trial of Vice-President Cheney's former chief of staff, "Scooter " Libby permeates the atmosphere with charges of conspiracy by the administration. Many of the more liberal members of congress are trying to write legislation to bring home the troops by date certain. And, amidst all of this, is the posturing of the Democrat and Republican parties and their candidates for the next presidential election. Each side believes that the war will be the overwhelming decisive issue in the election, and therefore, no one is willing to step out and provide real leadership lest they come to find out that perhaps they were wrong, and then they would lose the election.
In truth, they are correct in determining how important this issue is, but it also points to the fact that these individuals, and both parties, are truly unfit for controlling congress and the office of President! If they were truly committed to the nation's well being, they would put aside the squabbling and get down to the business of providing a solution. The discussion should focus on defining what victory in Iraq is, and then, what would happen if we leave prematurely, in other words, if we accept defeat in place of victory. Then a determination needs to be made that no matter what happens in Iraq after we leave, what will we do if things don't go according to our hopes.
No doubt there are those who want no part of this. Some want us to simply pull out and worry about it later. On the other side are those who want to stay no matter how long it takes to win. Still, each side is avoiding those points. They may appear simplistic, but in reality, they are at the heart of the matter. We must, as a nation, unitedly come to an agreement on those 3 points.
I personally believe that victory in Iraq should be defined as an Iraqi government that has the support of the majority of its people and can effectively govern the nation. This must include a viable police force able to keep order and a military able to fend off potential enemies. There are those who feel that 4 years has been enough time for this to occur and now we should leave. This position ignores the fact that this government only recently was voted into office. By way of comparison, we should remember our own country declared independence in 1776, but did not achieve a working constitutional government until 1787, and our circumstances were much more favorable than those in present day Iraq.
Two important aspects of this establishing of a sovereign government are security on the streets, and a recognized international standing. While it is true that a military solution alone cannot work, it is also true that the government must be free from rampaging, unrestricted violence in the streets. Therefore, I support our current effort to reinforce the troops in Iraq.
Nonetheless, the importance of the regional discussions now beginning amongst the various players should be highlighted. Long overdue, this start of negotiations must be pushed to accomplishment and not allowed to stagnate. The nations of the Middle East need to officially recognize the current Iraq government, make a committment to provide financial assistance until the Iraq economy is able to support its own reconstruction, and co-operate in providing combined military support guaranteeing the nation's geographical and political integrity. None of these ideas is impossible, and strong leadership by the U.S. can make this happen. None of the Middle East nations can afford to have Iraq descend into chaos. If the U.S. withdraws its military support from the current scene and tries to rely soley on the diplomatic effort, victory as described above will probably not be achieved and chaos will rule.
The end result of "victory" however, will probably not be perfect, at least according to American definitions of democracy. Still, we must accept the fact that in the end, having done all that is reasonable, it is the responsiblity of the Iraqi people to take control of their own future. They should take note of our 2006 elections and realize that the American people expect that of them. Should all the endeavors of diplomacy now at work, and the military portion of our effort fail, then America needs to accept the end result, good or bad. The war on terror will not end with a new Iraq, and the issue of a nuclear armed Iran is not going away either. In such a case, we are not necessarily left holding the bag, so to speak. The world will continue to be a dangerous place and we will need new strategies and resources to find our way. I believe that we as a nation will find such ways.
The current situation in Iraq therefore, needs to come to fruition based upon the combined diplomatic and military positions in which we find ourselves. I believe a premature pull out, before having played this hand out to its end, will make the future more difficult and dangerous. If, however, we will come together to give this last chance effort the time it needs to succeed, I feel quite stongly that future options will be much more favorable. The person elected President in 2008 should be ready to exploit those potentials, and I will do so. |
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