We went to war for good reasons. Achieved an amazing victory over Saddam that will be studied for decades. And despite the nonsensical criticisms of an "incompetent" war effort, we've held off the enemy, built Iraqi military forces from scratch, led the Iraqis through three elections successfully to start a real representative government, and have killed jihadis in great numbers with Iraqi troops at our side as new allies. We have problems to solve but we've come so far that I don't understand the pessimism. If we don't lose our nerve we will win it all. Victor Hanson writes:
Long forgotten is the inspired campaign that removed a vicious dictator in three weeks. Nor is much credit given to the idealistic efforts to foster democracy rather than just ignoring the chaos that follows war — as we did after the Soviets were defeated in Afghanistan, or following our precipitous departure from Lebanon and Somalia. And we do not appreciate anymore that Syria was forced to vacate Lebanon; that Libya gave up its WMD arsenal; that Pakistan came clean about Dr. Khan; and that there have been the faint beginnings of local elections in the Gulf monarchies.
Yes, the Middle East is “unstable,” but for the first time in memory, the usual killing, genocide, and terrorism are occurring in a scenario that offers some chance at something better. Long before we arrived in Iraq, the Assads were murdering thousands in Hama, the Husseins were gassing Kurds, and the Lebanese militias were murdering civilians. The violence is not what has changed, but rather the notion that the United States can do nothing about it; the U.S. has shown itself willing to risk much to support freedom in place of tyranny or theocracy in the region.
We didn't start or cause the death and destruction in the Middle East. It existed long before we were involved. But we do fight the well-financed, bloody, authors of the past death and destruction. And we provide a hope that the killers can be defeated and discredited so that a future beyond mass killings and repression can take hold in the Middle East.
Critics of the war in Iraq seem to base their criticisms on the amazing notion that if our enemies don't surrender immediately, then fighting them until we destroy them is not an option.
That's no way to win a war. Any war.
