April 08, 2004

The Rioting Iraqis Seek a Return To Hussein’s Iraq, with Themselves as the New Bosses.

Andrew Sullivan has these moving words on Iraq:

But the response to this cannot be withdrawal. Military power still matters; and the coalition has the overwhelming advantage. In some ways, perhaps, the war has now entered the most critical phase – more critical than Afghanistan or the war against Saddam. This war is for the future against the past, for representative government against a vicious theocratic dictatorship from the Leninist vanguards of the Sadrists.

Damn right. Turning Iraq into a democracy would be a massive step forward for the entire world. It would deny the power of the nation state of Iraq to the terrorists; it would show the Arab world the way to the their own future, a future of wealth instead of poverty, freedom instead of oppression, and achievement in place of dispair.

But no one said it would be easy. In calling for us to cut and run at the first sign of any real difficulty in our efforts there—which is exactly what this is—the left seeks to abandon the war on terror and to strengthen those who want to bring more terrorist attacks to U.S. soil.

And let’s face it—the rioting appears to be confined to only two cities in Iraq:

The top U.S. commander in Iraq acknowledged today that two cities remain at least partially under the control of Iraqi insurgents and that the latest violence could go on “for some time.”

Amid heavy fighting with Sunni and Shiite Muslim rebels, Army Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez said that forces controlled by radical cleric Muqtader Sadr have been attempting to sabotage Iraq’s move to self-governance and are trying to intimidate Iraqi moderates. “My assessment is that we will continue to see this violence for some time until Muqtader Sadr turns himself in or his militia is destroyed,” he said at a news conference.

If there are some Iraqis who hope to be the new Husseins, who hope to return to the old ways of rule by terror and torture of their fellow citizens, with themselves in charge—then they are the enemy. Let them understand that the Coalition of nations they are now facing, will deny them that opportunity.

Iraq is Vietnam? The Left Accuses Bush of Lying, but Makes the Most Absurd Statements about Iraq.

Kennedy: Iraq is Bush’s Vietnam

Iraq on verge of civil war: Blix

Kerry: Bush in a ‘mess’

Yadda yadda yadda—according to former Clinton advisor Dr. Lauri Milroy today on radio host Al Rantel’s show, the vast majority of Iraq is peaceful; the rioting is limited to a small geographic location.

The lack of rioting in Baghdad is attested to in words and photos here by an American working there.