Only One Way to Lose This War

Congressman Frank Wolf, R-Virginia, posts an article in the Washington Post on his recent trip to Iraq, his third since the end of major combat operations. He provides a balanced assessment of the situation and sensible advice on how to proceed.

Most importantly he notes,

No one I talked to during my recent trip believes we will lose the war on the ground in Iraq; it's here at home that they are concerned about. One general told me point-blank that the "center of gravity" for our success in Iraq is the American public.

Dittoes on that point can be found on a post from an American soldier in Iraq available here.

Wolf recommends a "fresh eyes" commission to visit Iraq and report on the real progress along with the ongoing problem of security, owing mostly to the large numbers of foreign fighters who have entered Iraq to form what is improperly called the "insurgency." Such a commission could also assess the needs of American troops to seal the Iraqi border and improve security.

Wolf's sober advice needs to be heard, not by the administration, who already understands, but by the public. This thing takes patience. But it's worth it. Our Islamo-fascist enemies recognize that Iraq will be their Waterloo if a decently functioning multi-ethnic democracy is established there. They can't afford to allow benign Islam in a democratic state that cares for its citizens.

Meanwhile, Reuters (motto: "One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter") reports that 100,000 people gathered in Washington to protest the Iraq war and demand that the soldiers be brought home. N.B. that Little Green Footballs is posting photographic evidence that these numbers are predictably inflated.

The demonstration, whatever its size, is notable for two reasons. First, the anti-war protest was combined with a protest of economic globalization. In other words, these are the same collection of university dropouts and performance artists who show up at every G8 summit to break windows and throw bricks at police. Their opinions should be taken as seriously as their behavior warrants.

Second, it seems that the soldiers in Iraq don't want to be brought home right now. They want support at home so that they can finish their work.

The protesters bring to mind an anecdote from the Little, Brown Book of Anecdotes (which is actually large and green). Then California Governor Ronald Reagan was in a limousine on one of the University of California campuses. His car was surrounded by student protesters who began to chant, "We are the future!" Reagan wrote on a piece of paper, then held the paper against the window of the limousine. He had written, "I'll sell my bonds."