The Iraqi conflict took a token step toward resolution last Friday when the House approved a fight-budget bill including an Aug. 31, 2008 deadline for withdrawing troops from the war-torn, fledgling nation that has quickly become a quagmire for U.S. troops. Though this bill is unlikely to pass muster in its future stages of life, it is nonetheless cause for introspection.
First, to those who oppose continued action of any kind in Iraq, do you truly believe that this is a fight we as a nation can afford to lose? The Iraqi conflict is more than just battles in a faraway desert land. Like it or not, Iraq has evolved into a symbol of American strength and resiliency for ourselves, our allies, and our foes alike.
We must answer the question that our foes ask of us: Are we strong enough to stand up to the onslaught of an evolved and more insidious opponent, or will we crumble under the fear their existence and propensity for violence inspires? Are we still able to safeguard the principles of freedom both at home and abroad, yet also engage the international community in finding a better solution? Visualizing the war as the symbol it has become, it is clear that a full withdrawal could never serve our interests.
To those who support the troop increase advocated by our president, do you truly believe that conventional warfare is a viable strategy for success given the events of the past two years? The grim reality our soldiers encounter daily is that they are not facing an enemy that fights by the rules of engagement. They are not battling a foe that will go toe-to-toe with them in a patch of desert or on a city street. Instead, the Iraqi conflict is one marked by gritty guerilla warfare, daily ambushes facilitated by roadside bombs, and a fog of war and mistrust that leaves our soldiers unsure of who the enemy really is.
My argument to both sides is that this enemy is not one that can be defeated by force of diplomacy or force of arms. It is one that must be defeated through the strategic deployment of our best soldiers, who will employ a style of warfare akin to our enemies - marked by quickness and subterfuge - with which we can effectively use our trained and technological superiority to our advantage. However, mere military solutions are not enough to protect our interests in the long term. Instead, the great United States must humble itself before the nations of the free world and work with equal vigor to repair the bridges we burned when we began this conflict.
All is not lost in Iraq, but neither is a simple surge of numbers without a change in strategy enough to secure a victory. A true leader is marked by an ability to adapt, and a truly resilient people are marked by an ability to persevere. In securing only domestic safety or bolstering only bravado, easy answers to our most complex questions are often enough; but to protect the prosperity of our people, now and in the future, we must demand an answer whose complexity is commensurate with the dilemma it seeks to solve.
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