War? What War?

Funny how news of the war has dropped to an almost imperceptible amount lately.

Perhaps it is because violence has dropped considerably over the past several months and US casualties occur relatively rarely these days. Iraqi forces have assumed responsibility for most of the country and absorb most of the casualties. The liberal screeching about civil war has turned into a rush to discuss anything else.

US money and resources have gone into building a strong public school system for Iraqi children. Yes our schools need money too, but many of these children are attending a secular school for the first time. They will learn about their important national traditions as well as the importance of democracy and respect for others. Investing in their education means that less children need to go to the fundamentalist Islamic school-terror brainwashing centers that would otherwise be their only alternative.

Just yesterday, American forces targeted and killed Al Qua'ida's number two leader in Iraq. The terrorists have lost there because America embraced a strategy of patient, but firm commitment. US troops tried to avoid violating sacred places while maintaining pressure. The commitment of George W. Bush to victory over political expediency ensured that the sacrifices of the US and Iraqis would not end up in vain. Democracy strengthened in the past year to the point that Iraq asked us to figure out when we could leave. Such self-confidence was lacking for a long time.

Victory in Iraq should be a crowning achievement for the Bush administration, but it will take years until he receives credit. Should his economic interventions stabilize the economy and reestablish growth, Bush may go down in history as one of our great presidents.

Meanwhile both Democrats and Republicans fear any kind of war related discussion. Republicans need to stand up and show pride that they supported democracy over tyranny, even when the situation looked grim. Their political courage helped to create an Iraq on the verge of success.