Iraq - Why it's important

While much of Wretchard's post deals with Iraq, it points out the larger global war we are in. Read the whole thing and follow the links but here's the conclusion where he quotes Deputy Assistant to the President Peter Wehner.

"It is the fate of the West, and in particular the United States, to have to deal with the combined threat of Shia and Sunni extremists. ... The war against global jihadism will be long, and we will experience success and setbacks along the way. The temptation of the West will be to grow impatient and, in the face of this long struggle, to grow weary. Some will demand a quick victory and, absent that, they will want to withdraw from the battle. But this is a war from which we cannot withdraw. As we saw on September 11th, there are no safe harbors in which to hide. Our enemies have declared war on us, and their hatreds cannot be sated. We will either defeat them, or they will come after us with the unsheathed sword."

Those that want to withdraw from the battle would be the Democrats and those Americans that voted them into office should be ashamed for as Wretchard notes:

"We will either defeat them, or they will come after us with the unsheathed sword." That concisely expresses why the current debate over a "surge" or a withdrawal will never be the final word on the subject. The conflict is a condition of history, from which there is no escape."