Progress In Iraq.

WE MUST WIN IN IRAQ! Tonight is the democratic debate at Dartmouth college, will the candidates answer this question: "What happens if we pull out of Iraq" of course not. Because they know that pulling out of Iraq would mean a disaster for every American, European, Asian, Russian, and everyone in the middle east, but the top leaders of Al-Qaeda.

[I] served in Iraq in 2005-2006 as part of Georgia's 48th Brigade Combat Team. Soon after we arrived, my Cavalry Troop was ordered from Baghdad to reinforce a task force that didn't have enough troops to accomplish its mission. We moved into two points of the infamous Triangle of Death, where my platoons operated outside the wire every day for the first 80 days and almost as often for the remainder of our time there. ...

After about a month of this, local civilian leaders came to me ready to re-establish their government. They had stopped meeting because it was too dangerous, but our efforts had made it safe enough to reconvene. ... Soon we formed a Security Council composed of leaders from the city council, Iraqi army, Iraqi police, Ministry of the Interior, local sheikhs and my own unit. ...

Here's how it worked: Offensive operations made life safer; the civilian government and the Iraqi Army had time to get established; and only then were old grievances reconciled so cooperation became the norm. I personally saw this work and am proud to have helped it happen. ...

The current "surge" strategy is new, and it is working. ...

Understand this about insurgencies: They are meant to force political change. Any military actions are secondary and a means to that end. ... The attacks are meant to erode your political will, so you will force our leaders to order soldiers home before they can complete their mission. You must consider that you, personally, have a part in this war whether you like it or not.

I am reminded of President Ronald Reagan's admonition at the Vietnam War Memorial in 1988: "Young Americans must never again be sent to fight and die unless we are prepared to let them win." Our adversaries do not expect our collective will to endure through the tough times. And, under other circumstances they might be right. Indeed, the price could simply be too high. But this is not one of those instances. We are finally getting it right in Iraq. Our efforts are working.

So, let us win.