The road to peace in Iraq is long and hard. That's the path America chose, Democrats and Republicans alike. The road has multiple layers, the security, the economic, the infrastructure and the political. The soldiers in Iraq are laying the foundation of that road (Security). We can’t build the rest of the road without the Security. The Iraqi people have made great strides in the second layer by creating marketplaces and embracing free market democracy. The American military and the “evil” contractors are creating the third layer by building the infrastructure (roads and bridges, power, pipelines, schools, hospitals, etc) necessary for Iraq to succeed. The final layer is the political layer. We have made great strides forward in this area as well. Iraq has conducted free elections, written a constitution and formed a government in a very short timeline. The people in the Iraqi government, unlike the American government, are relatively new to running a country. America has many politicians who have years of experience. It takes time for the Iraqi politicians to learn how to run a country and cooperate (which the US government can’t seem to do) with each other to succeed.
As the infrastructure improves, the economy improves, and the politicians gain experience, the security will improve. We’ve already seen changes that signal Iraq is ready to move forward. As the first three pieces progress and they are progressing, the citizens of Iraq will eventually want an end to the violence. As Americans continues to rebuild schools and hospitals each time the insurgents blow them up, the Iraqi people will begin to work with the Americans to prevent the attacks. That doesn’t happen overnight.
In Baqubah, the former Iraqi insurgents are now cooperating with American soldiers to rid the area of AQ insurgents. That’s progress. The citizens of Baqubah have realized that the Americans are not the ones causing the problem. It took time for them to realize that we are helping them rebuild. The AQ insurgents are not. We build, the AQ insurgents destroy. It was only a matter of time before the Iraqi people made that connection. Early on, the Iraqis supported the AQ insurgents viewing American soldiers as the problem. They have now realized it is the AQ insurgents that are the problem. That’s a fundamental shift in the Iraqi perception. That shift is the foundation of solid security.
Iraq is not a short term project. The arguments can take place forever regarding the justification for the war. The reality is America is committed to Iraq and needs to finish what was started.
I currently own a Mercedes and a Toyota. If this were 1949, would anyone believe that I would be driving cars made in Germany or Japan? We are two generations removed from World War II and we are forgetting the hard work, the resolve, and the determination that it took to make those two countries into the countries they are today.
History will determine whether George W. Bush is described as a good or bad President. If Iraq fails, and it will if we withdraw, President Bush will be seen as one of the worst Presidents of all time. If Iraq succeeds and I am buying an Iraqi vehicle in 50 years (if I’m still alive), President Bush will be deemed a genius. Time will tell.
By improving the infrastructure, building a government and supporting the economy we have enabled and thus persuaded the Iraqi people to support America and not the insurgency. That's Winning the Hearts and Minds in my book!!! We are WINNING!!!