Iraq War - 3nd Anniversary

It's been 3 years since the war in Iraq started. What have we accomplished, if anything?

1. We put the world on notice that the USA will strike, if need be.
2. We rid the Iraqis of a brutal dictator.
3. We freed 25 million Iraqis from the prison of Iraq.
4. They now worship freely, as they could not before.
5. They now have freedom of speech as they never had before.
6. They now have a vibrant press of varying opinion as they never had before.
7. They have had 3 free, democratic elections as they never had before.
8. They now have an infrastructure, long neglected by Saddam, which is being rebuilt, increasing power & bringing water to areas that never had it before.
9. Schools are being built & more children are being educated as never before.
10.Health facilities & vaccinations for children are increasing as never before.
11. The economy is growing as never before & Western products are finally reaching Iraqis.

Sure, there are negatives. What conflict is without one?
1. There are deaths & injuries, not only to our forces, but to innocent Iraqis.
2. There are the seemingly endless car bombings & killings.
3. There is still a lack of total or even partial security in some parts of Iraq.
4. There are the billions of dollars spent fighting the war & rebuilding the country.
5. There were the strategic mistakes & wrong decisions during & after the active conflict.

But overall, the situation is getting better, little by little. The number of US deaths is slowly dropping as are the number of terrorist bombings. More terrorists are being killed or captured. Large parts of Iraq are very peaceful - a point the media fails to take notice of.

Remember - the US is fighting not only the terrorists, but the foreign foot soldiers sent in or allowed in by Syria & Iran. They are fighting former Saddam loyalists & ex-Baathist Party members. They are fighting thousands of common criminals who Saddam released from prison when the war started.

The US military, as well as the Bush Administration, is also fighting the mainstream media, who have become in effect 5th columnists. The media from the 3rd day of the war was bemoaning the military's failings - the "stalled" offensive, when in fact the offensive was a quick & brilliant victory. The media, out of liberal bias or pure dislike of Bush, twisted & contorted events & played up events that went beyond the pale of what actually transpired. They failed to report the goods news or minimized it over the death & destruction that the media salivates for. They manipulated & managed the news to their advantage, rather then report it straight forward. The media in general has done a great disservice to the military & to the country. Scoundrels is the word that comes to mind.

Let's not forget the naysayers of Congress - especially those who voted for the war, who thought themselves that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction, but who saw fit to play politics with American soldier's lives by thrashing the war, the military, making extreme statements & outright falsehoods about the events in Iraq. Reprehensible is the word that comes to mind.

The American public, easily swayed by what they perceive as straight shooting & reporting by the media, is becoming more & more discontent with the post-war events in Iraq. They need to take heart, to remember that we must be in this for the long haul. If we pull out of Iraq prematurely, the Saddamites & terrorists will grab power - then the real slaughter of Iraqis will begin. A signal will be sent to the terrorists of the world that America does not have the stomach for long conflict, nor the staying power required to get the job done.

There is no alternative - we must complete the job in Iraq until that country's government can get on it's feet & secure the country themselves. A free & unfettered citizenry in Iraq in the midst of Arab countries with dictatorships will be the legacy America leaves to the world.