The West is Winning in Iraq

[HT:DH]

As the fifth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq approaches, the United States has proved her critics wrong -- again. The U.S.-led surge in Iraq has been a remarkable success, and the fledgling democracy is no longer descending into civil war. The ballot box and the rule of law are rapidly replacing terror, fear and intimidation as the norm.

The surge campaign has demonstrated that the United States is capable today of fighting and winning a protracted counter-insurgency war against well-armed and highly trained militia groups thousands of miles away in the Middle East. The figure leading the operation, General David H. Petraeus, is a true hero -- a remarkable military commander who defied the odds to deliver results in the face of a brutal, sophisticated and multifaceted enemy. [just about the time Time magazine was proclaiming Putin man of the year]

Al-Qaeda remains though a potent threat in Iraq, and there can be no room for complacency... Ultimately, Iraq is a microcosm of a larger war the West is waging against Islamist terrorism and extremism. The battles on the streets of Iraq have a direct relevance to the national security of the United States and its allies, and to walk away from this frontline of the war against Islamist terrorism would significantly increase the terror threat to the West itself. It is a long-term conflict that must be fought to ensure the security of the free world. America’s recent success in Iraq demonstrates that this is a war that can and must be won.

['winning' isn't won - but the trends are undeniable - would we really allow defeat-by-withdrawal now? {not rhetorical; you'll literally be voting on the answer in November]

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