I have supported the war in Iraq since the beginning. Not because it is Iraq but it is my feeling that we are in a war of ideologies – liberal Democracy (and while religious influenced, secular government by the Rule of Law that the public creates) vs Islamofacism (religion as government – a true theocracy where life is proscribed by Sharia Law).
Anyways, I do read Strategy Page most days (but this one is a H/T to Instapundit). Each one has more in it….but think about these:
January 28, 2007: Top 10 Myths of the Iraq War. In no particular order. There are more, but ten is a manageable number.
1-No Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). Several hundred chemical weapons were found, and Saddam had all his WMD scientists and technicians ready. Just end the sanctions and add money, and the weapons would be back in production within a year.
2-The 2003 Invasion was Illegal. Only according to some in the UN. By that standard, the invasion of Kosovo and bombing of Serbia in 1999 was also illegal.
3-Sanctions were working. The sanctions worked for Saddam, not for Iraq. Saddam used the sanctions as an excuse to punish the Shia majority for their 1991 uprising, and help prevent a new one.
4-Overthrowing Saddam Only Helped Iran. …Irans clerical dictatorship did not want a democracy next door. T
5-The Invasion Was a Failure. Saddam’s police state was overthrown and a democracy established, which was the objective of the operation.
6-The Invasion Helped Al Qaeda. Compared to what?
7-Iraq Is In A State of Civil War. Then so was Britain when the IRA was active, and so is Spain today because ETA is still active.
8-Iraqis Were Better Off Under Saddam. Most Iraqis disagree. Check election results and opinion polls.
9-The Iraq War Caused Islamic Terrorism to Increase in Europe. The Moslem unrest in Europe was there before 2001, and 2003.
10- The War in Iraq is Lost. By what measure? Saddam and his Baath party are out of power. There is a democratically elected government. Part of the Sunni Arab minority continues to support terror attacks, in an attempt to restore the Sunni Arab dictatorship. In response, extremist Shia Arabs formed vigilante death squads to expel all Sunni Arabs. Given the history of democracy in the Middle East, Iraq is working through its problems. Otherwise, one is to believe that the Arabs are incapable of democracy and only a tyrant like Saddam can make Iraqi "work." If democracy were easy, the Arab states would all have it. There are problems, and solutions have to be found and implemented. That takes time, but Americans have, since the 18th century, grown weary of wars after three years. If the war goes on longer, the politicians have to scramble to survive the bad press and opinion polls. Opposition politicians take advantage of the situation, but this has nothing to do with Iraq, and everything to do with local politics in the United States.
As to #10, I have learned lately that dealing with insurgencies take about 8-12 years. And if you don’t believe me, answer me this – how long did it take the Allies to fully pacify the Germans and Japanese after WW II? The answer will surprise some of you and annoy the heck out of the rest of you (who I believe are giving up too soon in this most unconventional war – unlike any that we have EVER fought before)…..
Read the whole thing over at Strategy Page.
