Iraq is a Quagmire, But for Whom?

They allowed themselves to be drawn into a foreign country. Poured essential resources down a bottomless pit; men and money that could have been exercised against the body of the beast, instead exhausted fighting the wrong war at the wrong time. They never had an exit strategy, nor a clear vision of what success would look like; just a nebulous grand idea to which they all prayed. Even to this day, some two years into the endeavor, they have no hope other than that the other side just gives up. They are a disharmonic coalition of the bribed and bewildered, unable to promise anything but instability. Yes, those terrorists in Iraq are in quite the pickle.

They had a clear mission statement when they got started so many years ago, but somehow the radical Islamists got suckered into Iraq. Bush stood up, in front of a big sign that read "Mission Accomplished" and dared the terrorists to "Bring it on". That was all it took. We left the borders open to allow them easy passage to their demise and now it's about time to lock the door behind them. Witness Operations Matador, in the west, and Cobweb on Iraq's eastern border with Iran. Two recent expeditions to close the border regions, kill as many terrorists as possible, and cut off their avenues of support.

Instead of fighting America, Bush got the terrorists to fight the spread of Americanism. By turning Iraq into the drain and enticing the terrorists out of the desert night, America is literally "draining the swamp", just like she said in 2001. Iran, Syria and, as luck would have it, Al Queda all allowed themselves to be drawn into the Iraqi equation, devoting resources to what is, for them, a worthless cause. What do they gain by aiding the remnants of Hussein's thugs? Remember, Al queda didn't have any attachment to Saddam Hussein, right? So why waste your suicide bombers in Baghdad? If bin Laden and Zarqawi were really the geniuses they think they are, they would be providing for the needy in Iraq. Gaining allegiances with the locals, not trying to blow them up. Running candidates in the national elections, not explosive laden cars into markets.

The answer, of course, is that the terrorists can not allow freedom to spring forth in the desert. A thriving Iraqi republic, with true representative government, is the one thing Al queda, the Syrians, Hezbollah and the mullahs fear most. Once hope is born in the middle east, the terrorists will be deprived of their greatest weapon, future terrorists.