A Second Hand Conjecture

(H/T: Capt. Ed). From the Washington Post:

There is no denying the difficulties Iraq faces, and no amount of good news can obscure the demons of terrorism and sectarianism that have risen in my country. But there is too much at stake to risk failure, and everything to gain by helping us protect our hard-won democratic achievements and emerge as a stable, self-sustaining country.

We remain determined in spite of our losses. Spectacular attacks may dominate foreign headlines, but they cannot change the reality that Iraq has made steady political, economic and social progress over the past four years. We continue to strengthen our nascent democratic institutions, pursue national reconciliation and expand Iraqi security forces. The Baghdad security plan was conceived to give us breathing space to expedite political and economic development by “securing and holding” neighborhoods across the capital. There is no quick fix, but there have been real results: Winning public confidence has led to a spike in intelligence, a disruption of terrorist networks and the capture of key leaders, as well as the discovery of weapons caches. In Anbar province, Sunni sheikhs and insurgents have turned against al-Qaeda and to the side of Iraqi security forces. This would have been unthinkable even six months ago.

He also counters some misconceptions:

Contrary to popular belief, most government ministries are located outside the Green Zone, and employees drive to work every day despite death threats and attacks on colleagues and families. We government ministers are always at risk of assassination. When a suicide bomber attacked parliament last month, the legislators sat in defiance in an extraordinary session the following day. I am particularly inspired by the commitment of the young diplomats in the Foreign Ministry, a diverse mix of Sunni, Shiite, Christian, Arab and Kurdish men and women who serve their country without subscribing to religious or sectarian divisions.

So why stay?

Iraqis are standing up every day, and we persevere because there is no other option. We will not surrender our country to terrorists. They have failed to cripple the elected government, and they have failed to intimidate us into submission. Iraqis reject their vision of a future whose hallmarks are bloodshed and hatred.

Those calling for withdrawal may think it is the least painful option, but its benefits would be short-lived. The fate of the region and the world is linked with ours. Leaving a broken Iraq in the Middle East would offer international terrorism a haven and ensure a legacy of chaos for future generations. Furthermore, the sacrifices of all the young men and women who stood up here would have been in vain.

Iraqis, for all our determination and courage, cannot succeed alone. We need a healthy and supportive regional environment. We will not allow our country to be a battleground for settling scores in regional and international conflicts that adversely affect stability inside our borders. Only with continued international commitment and deeper engagement from our neighbors can we establish a stable democratic, federal and united Iraq. The world should not abandon us.

Update:

Others Blogging: Wizbang, Captain’s Quarters, The Patriot of the Seven Hills, Not Exactly Rocket Science

Bill’s Bites, Noisy Room, The Discerning Texan, Pursuing Holiness, The Corner on National Review Online,Townhall.com – A Conservative Man,Flopping Aces,Say Anything, Dean’s World, Chicago Ray, Nukes News and Views, Carol Platt Liebau, Gina Cobb, Bookworm Room, The Strata Sphere, Speck Blog, Rhymes with Right, The Baltimore Reporter

Some are not happy with him expressing his views:

The News Hoggers:

Update It’s worth noting that the current Iraqi government have their own motives for backing any attempts by the American right to muddy the waters over who deserves the blame for the Iraqi quagmire – saving their own skins. The Iraqi military isn’t all that loyal to the government yet or indeed capable of saving Maliki and co’s necks without US help. That’s why folks like Iraqi foreign minister Hoshyar Zebari are more concerned with parroting neocon talking points than actually doing anything about real reconcilliation or talking about the real state of affairs in Iraq. Zebari is one of the US-picked original puppets as well as being closely connected to the Kurdish attempt to keep the US close by as protection against Turkey. Of course, neocons can be expected not to mention this when they in turn blithely take Zebari falsely as speaking for the Iraqi people as a whole.

May be the neo-cons will not mention it, but I will. Of course, exactly why they, or we, shouldn’t worry about saving their skins is something he doesn’t address. As if their deaths are somehow warranted or deserved. I also wonder why the Kurdish desire to have us nearby to protect against incursion by Turkey or attacks by terrorists and Baathists is a suspect motive.

I also wonder about what world one needs to inhabit intellectually to consider Captain Ed a neocon?

Technorati Tags: Iraq, Foreign Minister, war, democracy

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