Liberty's Blog

What is Victory?

There is the big debate, that asks when will we get out of Iraq? Others argue whether the war is winnable or not.

The point at which victory is achieved may not be so easily defined. We obviously definitively won the invasion and the takeover part of the war. The second part of the war consist of handing over the nation to its own people. It is a war for to create stability. Of course war is the antithesis of stability which may explain why some find it difficult to believe it is winnable. Its also a war of potshots and small scale skirmishes, which means that there will never be a decisive battle that will mean a clear victory in the war. The moment of actually victory could well go unnoticed because there will not be one large decisive victory.

In fact I believe this war has already been won. The only thing I'm not sure of was exactly when this momentous victory has occurred. Was it the first election when it went so smoothly? Was it when the Iraqis approved its constitution? Perhaps it was when we dragged Saddam out of that rat hole. Maybe it was today as the Iraqis selected their own leaders in an open election.

Most people in most places in Iraq are living peaceful lives. They work their shops and jobs, and look forward towards their future in a freer country. The Sunnis who were the last holdouts towards a united government, now understand that cooperation with their Kurdish and Shiite neighbors is their best chance for their own future. Support for Al Qaida is about nonexistent, and most of the leadership of the Al Qaida movement is either dead or captured. Al-Zarqawi himself is reported to be dead.

Still the MSM focuses on the occasional bombing and on the any deaths of our military. These things are important, they remind us of the price we are paying for the freedom of others. Its a terrible cost for us to pay, yet this price we pay is showing dividends and its these dividends that aren't being reported. An embedded reporter writes:

There is garbage on the streets, in yards, in open areas. There is a stench. There is grime. But there are also people.

They are vivid, unlike their surroundings. They are excitable and friendly and conversational. They live in conditions I hope I don'’t have to experience in my own life. Yet, if my neighborhood saw two wars, the breakdown of the national and local governments and decline of municipal services, I'’m not sure I wouldnÂ't be in the same boat.

I still haven't seen U.S. troops engaged or encounter car bombs or explosives. But I did see them play backgammon with some local police and Iraqi soldiers. I saw them take photos with more locals and make jokes mostly lost in translation. They gave advice and expertise to local troops on how to conduct a neighborhood patrol. They drank the local customary tea, and many admitted they’ve become addicted to it. They know several locals by name. I didn'’t hear one slight or ridicule of a very distinct culture. One soldier mentioned it might be a good idea to clean up the trash around one polling place, and another commented on the status of women in the culture, but they were nothing but respectful, friendly and buddy-buddy with the Iraqis they mingled with today.

Read the whole piece.
There will still be more bombings, some solders unfortunatly will likely die. It looks to me though that the worst is over. Its going to get quieter, and more peaceful, just as it has steadly for many months. No one has yet to declare victory in Iraq, so its up to me. Concider it my Christmas present to the solders over there. I expect that we will start to see many of them come home soon.

posted by Liberty @ 8:46 PM