A Fighting Chance

Fire of Liberty
While the MSM and foreign policy experts from the Democratic side of the fence and some on the right keep on demanding that President Bush and his administration start withdrawing US troops out of Iraq because they seem to be causing more resentment amongst the citizenry as well a providing fuel for the terrorist's attacks (At least in their mids.). The only problem is that these individuals fail to realize how our presence in Iraq provides a sense of stability rather than discord amongst the various factions in Iraq. With some 130,000 troops and US Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad entrenched in Iraq, the various factions within Iraq are able to avoid fighting for power and push forward in forming a national unity government than fighting a a Civil War(Contrary to what the MSM claims). Our presence also helps in providing the Iraqi military and security with a much needed helping hand in securing their country. One could only imagine what shape that Iraq would be in if they didn't have our troops filling the void as their army and security forces come online after spending some time getting professional counter-terrorism training and techniques from our soldiers.

All in all, no-one is happy in having another nation occupying their territory but the folks in Iraq are also well aware of what their nation could turn into if our forces just up and quit. Now folks will still argue that all these things are good and well but is still a adventure of pure fantasy for a predominately Christian and Western society to even think that about getting bogged down in a Muslim society but I guess they forgot that we've been achieving great success in keeping the peace between various factions in the Muslim heavy Kosovo. Luckily, Bloomberg columnists Amity Shlaes has written a good column on how the presence of US troops provide a sense of security and serves as an honest broker for the people of Kosovo. Here's a sample:

What's interesting about this powder keg, at least to someone thinking about Iraq or Afghanistan, is the broad enthusiasm for the U.S. soldier. I'm traveling with a U.S. foundation, the German Marshall Fund, on whose board I sit. We also visit Belgrade -- a Serb city where yellow construction equipment is still pushing around rubble from the months of bombs that NATO dropped on the city.

We discover that the experience has not damped the faith in the GI. How long must the U.S. stay in Kosovo, we ask? ``At least 10 or 15 years,'' says one Serb official. Can NATO go? ``Not now,'' says another. Firmest of all is the foreign minister of Serbia and Montenegro, Serbian Vuk Draskovic, who says: ``Americans must stay there.''

Serbians and Kosovars long for entry into the European Union; that's their plan for economic stability. But they look to the U.S. for military support, and one senses, a cultural and economic presence.

`Slow and Slower'

One member of our group, thinking of the ``troops-out'' mood at home, asks whether Europeans soldiers might replace American ones in Kosovo. No, the reply comes again. ``Europeans are good fellows,'' one official says. ``They operate in two speeds. Slow and slower.''

Now Kosovo is probably not at the scale of Iraq but it does demonstrate that their is still hope in Iraq as long as our troops stay and finish the job. Maybe those folks who write and say "Let's get out, the faster the better," should take a look.