Telling the truth about Iraq
December 9, 2005 | By The Heritage Foundation
For months—no, let’s not kid ourselves, for years—liberals in the media and on Capitol Hill have been screaming about Iraq. They’re most insistent in saying that Iraq is “another Vietnam,” that we’re losing the war on terror by being in Iraq, and that the war is based on lies and distortions.
These are all myths.
Take the myth that Iraq is “another Vietnam,” a sentiment expressed by many, including Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA). Heritage expert James Phillips easily de-bunked this distortion. Compared to America’s experience in Vietnam,
- Most Iraqis share American goals of building a pluralistic, democratic, and prosperous Iraq, including many who boycotted elections in the past
- The terrorist insurgency is fracturing along ideological lines as their support infrastructure collapses and they grow disenchanted with attacks on civilians
- The insurgency is supported by only a very small portion of Iraqis
- Even many Vietnam veterans see Iraq as a very different fight
Other myths
Obviously, there are a number of other liberal myths about Iraq out there. None of them hold any water.
- America would be better off leaving Iraq immediately—debunked
- America has no allies in Iraq—debunked
- The terrorists are winning in Iraq; We’re losing the political battle for “hearts and minds” in Iraq; The Bush administration “lied us into war”; Iraq is a distraction from the war on terror; Iraqi women were better off under Saddam; Iraq’s economy is getting worse—all debunked
James Phillips and the rest of Heritage’s national security team deserve much credit for their valuable work in this area.
Success in Iraq
I’m the first to admit that Iraq isn’t an unqualified American success. Terrorists continue to operate in parts of the country, and for many months sectarian violence threatened to tear the country apart.
But the presence of setbacks does not indicate an absence of success. It’s also worth remembering that things really aren’t going so badly over there.
- Iraq will hold elections next week, with turnout expected to be high—even among the Sunnis who boycotted previous elections
- Iraq is practically booming: its economy is surging forward, crucial infrastructure is being rebuilt, and the Iraqi people are at last reaping the benefits of free enterprise
- While the terrorist insurgents remain a threat, American and Iraqi forces are stamping out the rebels and reestablishing government authority. No longer are major cities like Mosul and Fallujah within terrorist hands
For this success we must thank our men and women in uniform, particularly the many Americans who have given the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
Talking about success
Many Americans believe America is failing in Iraq, but that’s largely because they haven’t heard the facts.
President Bush said much the same thing in his speech on Wednesday to the Council on Foreign Relations. He used the examples of Najaf and Mosul, two cities that were once terrorist strongholds that demonstrate the success of the American effort in Iraq. In both cities, Americans defeated the terrorists, helped the local governments restore order and rebuilt the economy—and both cities are now far more peaceful and beacons of stability to those under terrorist control.
Meanwhile, The Washington Times has picked up where The Wall Street Journal left off. The newspaper is now delivering regular reports on success from Iraq, including articles on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
Terrorists losing support
The terrorists in Iraq may be losing what little support they retain among the Iraqi people. As Heritage’s Kim Holmes reported in October, al Qaeda’s leaders worry that democracy is taking hold and that their strategy of targeting civilians may be backfiring.
Much of this new support for democracy may have to do with the reconciliation of the Sunni and Shiite factions in the country. At a recent meeting in Cairo, representatives of all major political parties hammered out an agreement about Iraq’s future that included major concessions to the Sunnis, who have in the past supported the insurgents. In a sign that Sunnis are joining the political mainstream in Iraq, Sunni clerics called for their followers to vote in next week’s elections—a far cry from January’s boycott.
Winning the military fight
Heritage security expert Peter Brookes wrote in The New York Post earlier this week that not only are the terrorists losing support, they’re losing the fight as well. The terrorists are in disarray even as the government uses new strategies to disrupt their operations and ensure they cannot return.
And, Brookes added, “next week's historic elections will put more wind in the sails of the new Iraqi ship of state.”
Iraq’s first truly free elections
As I mentioned above, Iraqis go to the polls next Thursday to elect a new parliament. This would be the first government chosen under Iraq’s new constitution, which voters approved overwhelmingly in October.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will speak at The Heritage Foundation next Tuesday about the impact of these elections on the Middle East and American national security. You can watch the event live online next Tuesday at 1:00 pm, and check back to MyHeritage.org later that afternoon for a full report.
And Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said yesterday that some 20,000 American troops could leave Iraq after next week’s elections, and further cutbacks could follow if things prove stable enough.
What we’re fighting for
We should always remember our ultimate goal in Iraq: to improve America’s national security. And, undeniably, when we succeed in Iraq, we can dramatically improve our nation’s security.
But if we fail, we hand a moral and psychological victory to al Qaeda, who will see the vindication of their terrorist strategy. And the surest way to fail is to cut and run.
In other news
- Congressional negotiators reached a deal yesterday to preserve key provisions of the Patriot Act and allow our law enforcement agents to effectively fight terrorism.
Liberals threatened to filibuster the bill—their usual reaction—when it comes up for a vote. - Nobel Prize-winning economist Milton Friedman said he is “disgusted” by Congress’ spending excesses. “It’s disgraceful because [Republicans] went against their principles,” he added.
- A few weeks after declaring that Israel should be “wiped off the map,” Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad expressed doubts Thursday that Nazi Germany systematically slaughtered millions of Jews in death camps.
- Editor’s note: Wednesday’s e-mail incorrectly described discretionary spending as including entitlement programs like Medicare and Social Security. Entitlements are properly included in mandatory spending, those programs over which Congress has no budgetary control.
Thanks to readers Judy Warner and Joe Burns for pointing out the error.
