No Substitute For Victory

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Kieran Michael Lalor

The debate over whether or not to increase U.S. troop strength in Iraq is the latest disagreement between hawks who believe the war in Iraq is a crucial theater of the war on terror and doves who oppose the use of military force.

Neither the hawks nor the doves are going to budge. However, both groups are courting a third category who approve of the Iraq conflict if the objectives are clear, but reject war with muddled goals.

The majority of Americans fall into this third classification. President Bush’s prime-time address tonight is an attempt to win back this group that has steadily abandoned him because of his complete failure to adequately explain why success in Iraq is vital to national security and why premature withdrawal would have catastrophic consequences.

As a committed hawk, I hope the president hammers upon the following points tonight and regularly thereafter: Every day the Iraq war puts terrorists in the ground or in jail. Last fall, the coalition killed or captured 5,900 of the enemy.   Considering that a mere 19 terrorists pulled off the 9/11 massacre, this is a major accomplishment.

Some dismiss our infliction of casualties by claiming Iraq is creating more terrorists. But this ignores the fact that jihadists had no trouble recruiting the 9/11 hijackers and those who carried out countless acts of terror in the name of Islam for decades prior to Operation Iraqi Freedom.

While many of the combatants are Iraqis settling old scores, a sizable portion are Al-Qaida operatives and foreign fighters who would be plotting and perpetrating attacks on civilian targets in the U.S. but for the war in Iraq.

It is frustrating that many Iraqis have joined death squads and militias and engaged in sectarian violence or refused to fight for their freedom. But huge swaths of the population have said they want peace and prosperity and thousands of Iraqis have given their lives to achieve this worthy goal. Offering the people of the Muslim world an alternative to perpetual violence, poverty and oppression, as the war in Iraq does, is the long-range solution to eroding support for militant organizations and regimes.

Pulling out of Iraq before the government can defend itself would lead to a human rights disaster. Without the coalition, the already staggering violence would multiply and those who sided with us would be slaughtered. Nothing could be worse for America’s reputation. In future conflicts, it will be near impossible to get the population to work with us as we would have proven an unreliable ally.

Leaving Iraq too soon would exponentially increase Iran’s military, political and economic influence in the region and the world. The national security implications of empowering anti-American Iran, a terror state seeking nuclear weapons, are startling.

Early withdrawal would also fuel militant Islam’s view of the U.S. as a paper tiger. As the enemy’s morale and recruitment soars, ours would undoubtedly nosedive. Why join or re-enlist in the military if politicians are going to ask you to risk all for a cause and then determine the cause is not worth fighting for?       

Good men and women have given their lives for this mission. I served with four Marines who left everything they had on the battlefield. To allow their sacrifice to have been in vain is unforgivable.

Those who comment on the impact of a troop surge are guessing. Only time will tell if more troops will quell violence and stabilize Iraq. But two things are immediately certain; victory in Iraq is the only option and any tactic unaccompanied by a clear explanation of why we must succeed is doomed for failure.

Peekskill resident Kieran Michael Lalor, a Marine Corps veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, is the founder of EternalVigilanceSociety.org