The Stakes in Iraq

By U.S. Senator Jon Kyl "The republican principle demands that the deliberate sense of the community should govern the conduct of those to whom they entrust the management of their affairs; but it does not require an unqualified complaisance to every ... transient impulse which the people may receive from the arts of men." - Alexander Hamilton, The Federalist Papers, #71 President Bush gave an important speech last week that stems directly from Hamilton's observation that responsible leaders must at times rise above transient public opinion influenced by clever politicians to guide society toward the greater good. Recognizing that the protests of anti-war activists, amplified by partisan attacks, have begun to affect public support for our presence in Iraq, the President took to the podium at the U.S. Naval Academy to remind the nation of the nature of the enemy we face in Islamic extremism. Perhaps his most important message was that victory in Iraq is a vital U.S. national interest: what happens there will either embolden terrorists to expand their reach, or deal them a decisive and crippling blow. In a world of instant soundbites about casualties, and politicians focused on the next election, it falls to the Commander-in- Chief to constantly remind us of the big picture. As critics - most recently House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi - have begun to call openly for a withdrawal of U.S. troops within six months, Bush's response merits quoting at length: "[The terrorists'] objective is to drive the United States and coalition forces out of Iraq, use it as a base from which to launch attacks against America, overthrow moderate governments in the Middle East, and establish a totalitarian Islamic empire that reaches from Indonesia to Spain. That's their stated objective. "This is an enemy without conscience - they cannot be appeased. They share the same ideology as the terrorists who struck the United States on September the 11th, who blew up commuters in London and Madrid, murdered tourists in Bali, workers in Riyadh, and guests at a wedding in Jordan. If we were not fighting and destroying this enemy in Iraq, they would not be idle. They would be plotting and killing Americans across the world and within our own borders. "Just last week, they massacred Iraqi children and their parents at a toy give-away outside an Iraqi hospital. These terrorists have nothing to offer the Iraqi people. All they have is the capacity and the willingness to kill the innocent and create chaos for the cameras. They are trying to shake our will." Fortunately, most Americans, even those who may have opposed the war in the first place, recognize that no war has ever been won on a timetable. My colleague Democratic Senator Joseph Lieberman noted in a recent Washington Post op-ed that setting such an artificial schedule would "discourage our troops... encourage the terrorists, [and] confuse the Iraqi people." It would also send a message across the world that America is a weak and an unreliable ally, and a signal to our enemies that if they wait long enough, America will cut and run and abandon its friends. (Remember Osama bin Laden's observation that the United States was a "weak horse" and he was a "strong" one.) Worst, it would invite new attacks on America, which we elect a Commander-in-Chief to work to prevent. That's what President is doing, regardless of partisan attacks and their effect on the polls. I believe that history will vindicate him. Sen. Kyl serves on the Senate Finance, Judiciary and Energy & Natural Resources committees and chairs the Republican Policy Committee. Visit his website at www.kyl.senate.gov/.