It is so sad to know how ill-informed the general public is concerning the Iraq war. As a proud American with personal vested interests in the success of our mission in Iraq, I feel I can shed some light on the pressing issue of the Iraq war. Considering my boyfriend is courageously serving in Iraq, I can affirmatively tell you we are winning the terrorist insurgency there.
According to the troops on the ground, a timeline withdrawal is an entirely legitimate proposal. Some may ask, is the war worth it? If you believe the Iraqi people are indignant toward our operation to bring them freedom, sadly, you are confusing these respectable people with the terrorist insurgency, which seeks to make people believe Iraqis are resentful.
The fact is people have always desired freedom, which is why many towns have turned against al-Qaida in favor of the Americans, which is evident in the Anbar Province. Iraq is stabilizing its government through democracy, which was our initial goal from the beginning. It is evident Iraq is transitioning from a dictatorship to a democracy. What is interesting to note is there has been a relative respite in news coverage and discussion about the Iraq war in the past few weeks and months.
Eighteen U.S. soldiers died in May. This is the lowest total of the war casualties yet. This is an 86 percent drop in comparison to the deaths reported in May 2007. For the first time the Iraqis are taking a military lead and on various fronts at once. Was this outcome even conceivable a year ago? No. It is an ignominy that the left-wing media has deceived many by reporting only on the shockingly negative news and reporting insufficiently on the positive activist news stories pertaining to the war.
I hope these positive trends continue, but for this to happen there needs to be a plan for Iraq based on permanent solutions, rather than merely implementing short-term solutions that will eventually lead to violence. The withdrawal of the troops has to correspond with the evolution of the Iraqi army and government. I completely agree with Sen. John McCain that we can and will be successful in Iraq as long as we are tenacious and do not panic.
I do not like the war. I would rather not have my family and friends in a war-torn country, but I do support the war. The many soldiers that are recruited for the war want to go, and believe in the freedoms this country stands for. Do not forget all these soldiers are volunteers. These men and women are not in any way forced to join the armed forces.
I understand the war in Iraq may not have gone exceptionally well in some people's eyes, and that Americans have now grown tired of hearing the press report on the subject. I can empathize with their reactions because I also want the troops to come home as soon as they can, but I know that they do not want to come home without honor and decorum.
Our country has fought tirelessly for our freedom. Is there any honor in knowing these troops have served in vain if we back out of the Iraq war?
Sources: msnbc.com, cnn.com
