The president's view is that in the absence of a UN endorsement, this war will become "self-legitimating" when the world sees most Iraqis greet U.S. troops as liberators. I think there is a good chance that will play out.

But wars are fought for political ends. Defeating Saddam is necessary but not sufficient to achieve those ends, which are: a more progressive Iraq and a world with fewer terrorists and terrorist suppliers dedicated to destroying the United States, so Americans will feel safer at home and abroad. We cannot achieve the latter without the former. Which means we must bear any burden and pay any price to make Iraq into the sort of state that fair-minded people across the world will see and say: "You did good. You lived up to America's promise."

A GREAT perspective piece which I agree with whole heartedly

4:53:15 PM    comment