General David Petraeus, accompanied by Ambassador Ryan Crocker, returned to Capitol Hill this week to deliver his report on the progress in Iraq. And while the General cautioned that we are still a long way from doing victory laps, the comparison between the current status and the sorry conditions of fourteen months ago is profound with plentiful signs of marked progress on both the military and political fronts.
Embedded journalist and author Michael Yon, who has been reporting from Iraq since 2004, calls the improvement in conditions, “a little short of miraculous” in his recent Wall Street Journal article, which also includes a comprehensive analysis to support this assessment.
The reception afforded the General was certainly more polite than the way he was received last time around, in that there were, at least, no calls for a “suspension of disbelief.” But most of the MSM would have us believe that that the senators met him with pitchforks and torches.
In reality, many of the senators simply chose to ignore the positive aspects of his report and clamored for a timetable for troop withdrawals and a concise timetable for mission completion, pandering to the stop-the-war crowd who are demanding an instant end to hostilities, no matter what the cost. Among those in the chorus calling for troop withdrawals are the two surviving Democratic contenders for their party’s presidential nomination, Senators Clinton and Obama.
Presumably, the Dems will eventually select a candidate and we can all move on to the main event. But regardless of which emerges as the last candidate standing, their position on Iraq, and to a great extent their aptitude for the job of Commander-in-Chief, is well known. Both are advocating pulling the plug on the war on terrorism in favor of a vague diplomatic strategy as the way in which to protect the American people from those who think flying planeloads of people into office buildings is a legitimate way to advance their agenda. The fact that we have not suffered a major act of domestic terrorism since 9/11 is, apparently, chalked up to pure chance and unrelated to the government's war on terrorism.
Fortunately, not all of the senators present that day were pre-disposed to dismiss the positive aspects of the general’s report out of hand. In a follow up letter, Senator John McCain provides a much more balanced reaction to the report and the progress it contained. Moreover, his letter also includes a succinct analysis of the serious consequences of a preemptive troop withdrawal. He writes, in part:
“Should the United States choose to withdraw from Iraq as Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama wish to do; before adequate security is established, we will exchange for this victory a defeat that is terrible and long lasting. Al Qaeda in Iraq would proclaim victory and increase its efforts to provoke sectarian tensions, pushing for a full-scale civil war that could descend into genocide and destabilize the Middle East. Iraq would become a failed state that could become a haven for terrorists to train and plan their operations. “
Senator McCain’s letter, reprinted below, is well worth reading in its entirety as it provides not only a clear-eyed analysis of the current situation in Iraq, but also reflects the experience and judgment that he would bring to the job of Commander-in-Chief. While neither of the remaining Democratic candidates can claim anything approaching his level of military leadership, the case of Hillary’s ludicrous “misspeaking” about her brush with sniper fire in Bosnia paints an especially sharp contrast. A Hat Tip to Sharilee at Worcester County Freedom Trail for a recent posting which provides a crisp recap of that fiasco.
Don't be lulled into passivity by the Democratic muddle. As soon as they settle on a candidate, they will be out firing with both barrels. Unless, of course, someone misspeaks.
From The Desk of John McCain
My Friends,
Today, I had the privilege to hear from General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker on the current state of the war in Iraq and the progress that has been made there. We owe these two patriotic Americans a debt of gratitude for their selfless service to our country.
At the beginning of last year, we were engaged in a great debate about what to do in Iraq. Four years of mismanaged war had brought us almost to the point of no return. Sectarian violence in Iraq was spiraling out of control, life had become a struggle for survival, and a full-scale civil war seemed almost unavoidable. Al Qaeda in Iraq was on the offensive and entire Iraqi provinces were under the control of extremists.
However, rather than retreat from Iraq and face the terrible consequences that would ensue, we chose to change strategies and turn things around. I was proud to be an outspoken advocate for this change in strategy and endured much criticism from members of both parties. As I've said time and time again, I'd rather lose a campaign than lose a war.
"Never despair," Winston Churchill once said. And we did not despair. We were tested, and we rose to the challenge. Some political leaders close their eyes to the progress that the surge has made possible, and want only to argue about the past.
But the question for the next president is not about the past, but about the future and how to secure it.
While the job of bringing security to Iraq is not finished - as the recent fighting in Basra and elsewhere vividly demonstrated - we are no longer staring into the abyss of defeat, and we can now look ahead to the genuine prospect of success. Success - the establishment of a peaceful, stable, prosperous, democratic state that poses no threat to its neighbors and contributes to the defeat of terrorists - this success is within reach.
Should the United States choose to withdraw from Iraq as Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama wish to do; before adequate security is established, we will exchange for this victory a defeat that is terrible and long lasting. Al Qaeda in Iraq would proclaim victory and increase its efforts to provoke sectarian tensions, pushing for a full scale civil war that could descend into genocide and destabilize the Middle East. Iraq would become a failed state that could become a haven for terrorists to train and plan their operations.
We cannot allow this to happen.
The American people deserve the truth from their leaders. Doing the right thing in the heat of a political campaign is not always the easiest thing. But when 4,000 Americans have given their lives so that America does not suffer the worst consequences of our failure in Iraq, it is a necessary thing. In such a grave matter, we must put the nation's interests before our own ambitions.
My opponents' calls for an immediate withdraw, regardless of the consequences, is a reckless and dangerous move that would threaten the long term security of our country. Leadership is not about bowing to the political pressures, it is about thinking through the consequences and having the experience and judgment to make the tough decisions.
Senators Clinton and Obama will surely echo the sentiments of their extreme liberal supporters and call for a pre-emptive withdrawal from Iraq. The American people deserve better. I encourage both candidates to move beyond empty and destructive rhetoric and elevate the debate to a level that the country deserves. There are tough decisions ahead and America deserves leaders that are up to the challenge.
As president, I will ensure that our troops come home victorious in this war that is part of the larger struggle against radical Islamic extremism and will continue to make keeping our nation secure my highest priority.
Sincerely,
John McCain
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