- Phase 1. We asked them to take out a madman suspected of plans to use weapons of mass destruction. America’s best took him out.
- Phase 2. Once deployed in Iraq, we asked them to disrupt terrorist networks. There being no further attacks on the United States since 9/11, America’s best succeeded again.
- Phase 3. The President asked our troops to surge to create a security space for decision making by Iraqi politicians. America’s best took to the streets of Iraq and won that security space.
Iraq must now decide if it wants freedom. Our fallen heroes have died for the people of America and only incidentally for the people of Iraq. American national security is our objective in Iraq, not nation building. Because it’s in our national security
interest, we seek to be a supporter of their democracy; we must not make the mistake of becoming a guarantor of their democracy. Freedom isn’t free. Iraqis must pay for it.
Iraqi politicians and the Iraqi people must be held accountable for progress toward reconciliation goals. It’s not time to withdraw,but it is time to establish a series of success checkpoints to measure progress on dividing the oil fairly among Shia, Sunnis and Kurds; on reintegrating former Baath Party members into positions of public trust; and on amending the constitution to ensure Sunni rights. Those success checkpoints should be accompanied by a progression of larger to smaller “carrots” (rewards) followed by smaller to larger “sticks” (consequences).
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