Informed Speculation

A refreshingly upbeat take on Iraq and our prospects in today’s San Diego Union-Tribune. The editorial board also weighs in with one of my recurring questions: how do we define victory? Here’s their take:

Winning requires standing up a functioning, representative Iraqi government freely chosen by the people of Iraq. It means putting in place Iraqi security forces sufficiently trained, equipped and led to defend Iraq and its new government and defeat whatever terrorist threat remains when the bulk of American and coalition forces depart. In geo-political terms, victory in Iraq means completing the historic mission that America and its coalition allies promised; liberating Iraq by replacing the Arab world’s most vicious dictatorship with an elected government, effectively the first Arab democracy.

The Union-Tribune also reminds us of what has been achieved already:

Saddam Hussein sits in a cell, the new Iraq has a freely elected Parliament, will soon have a constitution and a permanent government after elections in December. Not bad for a process that began just 30 months ago.

To those who doubt that a military victory in Iraq is possible, consider the enemy that U.S. and coalition forces confront – a few thousand mostly Sunni terrorists opposed by the overwhelming majority of Iraqis, who are Shia and Kurds. Only a minority of Iraq’s minority Sunnis support the terrorists, whose murderous attacks on Iraqi civilians are turning more and more Iraqis against them.

I don’t concede the premise that we are losing in Iraq; things are not a bed of roses, but they are not nearly as drastic as the ‘surrender now’ brigade would have us think. We are winning; we will win; and we need more coverage like this: optimism and realism side by side.