Occupation

Interest in the Iraq war seems to have died down in the major media outlets. Depending upon your outlook it could be read as a reluctance on their side to reporting what are, in actual fact, gains resulting from the surge. But as the bitter primary fight now going on between Hillary and Obama continues to allow McCain to stand above the fray and appear statesmanlike some in the media have started to send a few barbs his way.

The Sunni-Shi'ite misstatement McCain made while on tour in the Mid-East proved to be a tempest in a teapot. The convolutions between those two Muslim paths, intertwined with the Wahhabism espoused by the Saudi Arabians will forever be a conundrum to the West. The basic fact remains : Jihadists are trained in Iran and Syria, regardless of their espoused sect, and are then dispatched to work their evil around the world.

I am afraid, however, that the Democrats will follow DNC Chairman Dean's twisting of McCain's statement concerning the "100 years in Iraq." Dr. Dean chooses to interpret the statement to the effect that the US would be at war in Iraq for that period. I cannot but believe that he is purposely doing so since evidence to the contrary lies in every history book. The United States has remained in a number of countries, acting as a bulwark and support. South Korea comes to mind. We have been there for over 50 years. Japan even longer and finally Europe. With those two our presence has extended for over 60 years. And I remind you of the tremendous economic strides all of them have made.

It is to our best interest in the Mid-East that we remain in Iraq. We will develop what is called a "Status of Forces Agreement" or SOFA, which will ally us with the country, give us access to bases, etc. We will probably even build a base or two as we have done in other countries. This gives us a stabilizing presence in the area which in turn provides another bulwark against terrorism.

As we prepare to endure the election year follies, misstatements and general obfuscation that will be rampant let us try to remember that all are entitled to their opinion but not to their own exclusive set of facts.

We are at war. Make no mistake about that. There are people who wish us nothing but ill for many reasons from religious differences to economic ones. They kill innocents with no compunction, send children and mentally challenged people wrapped in bomb belts to accomplish their nefarious works. After 9-11 President Bush told us that it would be a long, arduous path to victory. Americans accepted that but, in the way of all democracies, they have slowly fallen away in support of our task. Their freedoms entice them to the quiet life and they forget the need for arms.

Let me quote Ancus Martius who lived around 650 B.C.:

It is not sufficient for men who wish to remain at peace to refrain from wrong doing...but the more one longs for peace the more vulnerable one becomes. A desire for quiet is not a power for protection unless accompanied by equipment for war; a delight in freedom from foreign broils very quickly ruins men who are unduly enthusiastic over it.

Things have not changed in 2700 years.