Victory in Iraq
As there will be no formal declaration of Victory in Iraq; today, November 22, 2008 is as good as any to mark the unofficial formal declaration of Victory in Iraq.
I disclose, this isn’t my idea. It was suggested on one of the blogs I read and I concur with the message. There will be no official pronouncement from the White House. There will definitely be no official pronouncement from Congress. There will absolutely never be any official pronouncement from the enemy. So why not pronounce it unofficially and make it as real as it will ever be? By any measure of victory, this war is over.
The casualty rate of American soldiers in Iraq has fallen far below the murder rate of ordinary American citizens in several American cities. It is safer to be a US soldier in Iraq than it is to be a US citizen in Detroit, Miami or Washington DC.
The Iraqis themselves have held multiple democratic elections and have a functioning, democratically elected, government. There are still major disagreements, but in general the Iraqi government is more united than Republicans and Democrats in the United States. They may not be perfect, but they are closer to reconciliation than our own government. I think you have to call that one a win.
The Iraqi army has stood up to and defeated militias that attempted to foment civil war. The Iraqi army has actually never lost a battle. There are still improvements to be made before the Iraqis can confidently go to battle without American fire-power waiting in reserve, but the Iraqis have proven that they don’t always need American support. The enemies of Iraq have proven that they can either flee the battlefield or get captured or killed. I think that’s another win.
The Iraqi army is not yet able to defend the country from foreign invasion. However, this was never a criterion for victory. Who would want to invade Iraq anyway? Post-Sadaam, that is. There is only one Iraqi neighbor I can think of, and if Iran chose to invade I would hope that allies of Iraq, including the United States, would come to her rescue. At some point, Iraq will be a fully self-sufficient entity, but the fact that the US destroyed its military in the initial invasion shouldn’t be a detriment to measuring success in the reconstruction. Besides, how much military power do we really want for Muslim governments in the Middle East?
American troops still remain in Iraq, and as John McCain once said, they may remain there for another 100 years. However, American troops still remain in Germany, Japan, South Korea and several other former hot-spots. Troop presence is more a matter of foreign policy than a measurement of victory. If the anti-American left, whom Obama courted in the primaries, really want the troops to come home, it can be done now without having an aura of surrender. I expect the anti-American left will be quite disappointed when Obama the politician rethinks his campaign rhetoric now that he has actual responsibility.
Congratulations are due to all of the military for its success under very difficult conditions. Also thanks are owed to the military families for the sacrifices and hardships they endured, especially when so much of their own country did not appear to be on their own side. President Bush deserves enormous credit, which history will grant him, for his unwavering vision under an unprecedented political assault during a time of war. Finally, General Petraeus deserves the nations’ gratitude for making the critical change in tactics that led to the successful prosecution of the war. As history will look favorably upon President Bush, General Petraeus will also be seen one day as the Grant, Pershing or Patton of this generation.
Congratulations America on winning another war.
I disclose, this isn’t my idea. It was suggested on one of the blogs I read and I concur with the message. There will be no official pronouncement from the White House. There will definitely be no official pronouncement from Congress. There will absolutely never be any official pronouncement from the enemy. So why not pronounce it unofficially and make it as real as it will ever be? By any measure of victory, this war is over.
The casualty rate of American soldiers in Iraq has fallen far below the murder rate of ordinary American citizens in several American cities. It is safer to be a US soldier in Iraq than it is to be a US citizen in Detroit, Miami or Washington DC.
The Iraqis themselves have held multiple democratic elections and have a functioning, democratically elected, government. There are still major disagreements, but in general the Iraqi government is more united than Republicans and Democrats in the United States. They may not be perfect, but they are closer to reconciliation than our own government. I think you have to call that one a win.
The Iraqi army has stood up to and defeated militias that attempted to foment civil war. The Iraqi army has actually never lost a battle. There are still improvements to be made before the Iraqis can confidently go to battle without American fire-power waiting in reserve, but the Iraqis have proven that they don’t always need American support. The enemies of Iraq have proven that they can either flee the battlefield or get captured or killed. I think that’s another win.
The Iraqi army is not yet able to defend the country from foreign invasion. However, this was never a criterion for victory. Who would want to invade Iraq anyway? Post-Sadaam, that is. There is only one Iraqi neighbor I can think of, and if Iran chose to invade I would hope that allies of Iraq, including the United States, would come to her rescue. At some point, Iraq will be a fully self-sufficient entity, but the fact that the US destroyed its military in the initial invasion shouldn’t be a detriment to measuring success in the reconstruction. Besides, how much military power do we really want for Muslim governments in the Middle East?
American troops still remain in Iraq, and as John McCain once said, they may remain there for another 100 years. However, American troops still remain in Germany, Japan, South Korea and several other former hot-spots. Troop presence is more a matter of foreign policy than a measurement of victory. If the anti-American left, whom Obama courted in the primaries, really want the troops to come home, it can be done now without having an aura of surrender. I expect the anti-American left will be quite disappointed when Obama the politician rethinks his campaign rhetoric now that he has actual responsibility.
Congratulations are due to all of the military for its success under very difficult conditions. Also thanks are owed to the military families for the sacrifices and hardships they endured, especially when so much of their own country did not appear to be on their own side. President Bush deserves enormous credit, which history will grant him, for his unwavering vision under an unprecedented political assault during a time of war. Finally, General Petraeus deserves the nations’ gratitude for making the critical change in tactics that led to the successful prosecution of the war. As history will look favorably upon President Bush, General Petraeus will also be seen one day as the Grant, Pershing or Patton of this generation.
Congratulations America on winning another war.
posted by BoiseJag at 7:12 AM
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