Tired of Terrorism: A Step Forward for Liberal Values in Iraq

Again, Iraqis have reminded us that liberal values cannot survive unless we are willing to defend them. The news today–a high turnout almost nationwide and very little violence–is a heartening antidote to the self-loathing flagellation and emotionalism of the surrender-to-everyone lobby, despite the media’s amplifification of that message so far beyond the proportions of its relevance. Initial results suggest that enough Sunni Arabs voted “yes” to pass the Constitution. Gateway Pundit has pictures and links to a Reuters (!) video. Iraq the Model has more video, showing people literally dancing in the streets.

What I saw yesterday is also chipping away at my own prejudices about the Middle East. Might there be hope? I have seen perceptable military progress since January, particularly in Mosul and parts of Anbar, such as Fallujah and areas near the Syrian border. Ramadi continues to be dangerous. Violence will not end tomorrow; insurgencies die slowly, but when the people are opposed to them, they do smother under a flood of tips to the authories. The vote signals a general war weariness among the people and a readiness by most to try their hand at political bargaining.

Also heartening: despite the fact that Iraqi military and police units continue to require support from U.S. units, they essentially provided most of the security in Iraqi cities. Michael Yon has much more on the improving readiness of the Iraqi police in Mosul, where he embedded himself for many months.

It’s fascinating to see the extent to which the Sir Robert Thompson‘s counterinsurgency textbook, urged on us but applied in a too-little-too-late fashion in Viet Nam, seem to have been applied much more rigorously (at least most of the time) in Iraq. I’ve never stopped wondering how divine providence placed a copy of this obscure, extraordinarily hard to find, yet highly influential, text in the Rapid City, South Dakota public library.

[Mostly-Unrelated Note: Colonel H.R. McMaster, who now commands the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment in Iraq, wrote a caustic criticism of former Defense Secretary Robert McNamara in “Dereliction of Duty” back in 1997. Short after I read Sir Robert Thompson’s book and McNamara’s own sickeningly self-pitying apologia, but after I entered active duty, I read then-Major McMaster’s book. Shortly after I finshed it, I was tasked with the prosecution of a double burglary case, and Major McMaster was appointed as Article 32 officer in one of the cases (we had to schedule the hearing between book tours). The Army got its money’s worth–a very analytical, rigorous, well-thought-out report. Colonel McMaster is very likeable in person as well.]