COMMENTARY: Facts in Iraq changing

Out of curiosity what is it we are going to win in Iraq? Saddam was never a real threat to us. No matter who or what constitutes the Iraqi gov't they will never be our allies. What exactly is it we're getting for our dead, wounded and money spent on Iraq? Personal I don't think the whole country was worth the life of one marine. The sooner you people stop picking my pocket for this boondoggle the better.

Mr. Barone A "surge" of articles have appeared in various newspapers recently praising the effectiveness of this strategy proposed by General Patraeus and approved By president Bush. The results of the surge are stunning albeit tenuous. Providing security to the Iraqi population is the most important job for the Iraqi government - and the biggest failure of the US invasion of Iraq. Clearly political reconciliation could not take place in the midst of a civil war. Since security dramatically improved in Iraq because of the surge, political reconciliation has followed and many of the benchmarks have been met. The Iraqi security forces have taken on greater responsibility. It seems entirely plausible to me that Iraq could have a political system modeled on Lebanese power sharing - that Iraq could develop a productive system of government. Much work needs to be accomplished, but now there is hope for a better future for all Iraqis, and yes, much better than under the brutal dictatorship of Saddam and his two sons.

Well Tom that tells me what Iraqi's get out of the war. What about America? Remember us?

kc First of all, there is nothing wrong with the Iraqis benefiting from the surge. We are the ones that invaded Iraq, and the Iraqis have born the brunt of the invasion. There has been an incredible amount of Iraqi civilian deaths and displacement (refugees to other countries and ethnic cleansing) - not to mention the 4000 (and counting) deaths of US soldiers. The biggest failure of the invasion was the complete loss of security and the resulting descent into a civil war. We have a humanitarian obligation to restore order in their country. How the US benefits from the surge and success in Iraq: 1. It is important and beneficial to limit Iranian regional hegemony. Iranian handiwork is on display in Lebanon through Hizbollah (an Iranian creation) and in Gaza through their proxy Hamas. They also have considerable sway over Syria as well. Iran certainly has similar designs in Iraq through a Shiite Islamic militia such as Sadr’s Mahdi army. The development of a powerful proxy in Iraq could enable Iran to gain access or influence over a very important oil supply, and further enable Iran to destabilize the Middle East in their war to annihilate Israel. The Iraqi government’s recent attack aimed at Sadr in Basra and Baghdad sent a strong and important message to Iran. 2. The defeat of al-Qaeda also is important to the US. When Saddam was toppled, this created a power vacuum in Iraq. The vacuum was filled by al-Qaeda and Iran as well as Syrian and other Arab interest. I find it interesting that al-Qaeda has not had much of a presence in Afghanistan - at least until recently. In my opinion, al-Qaeda considered Iraq their Midway in the war against the US and to establish their totalitarian system of Islamic rule similar to the Taliban. Fortunately for us, al-Qaeda brutality hurt their own cause - one of the main reasons that the surge has been a success. Their recent surge in activity in Afghanistan may reflect their changing interest due to their defeat in Iraq (in my opinion). 3. The US benefits from a stable Iraq. If the US leaves, this could result in a return to the chaos so prevalent over the first four years of our campaign in Iraq. If the US pulls out of Iraq - as the Democrats have threatened for the last few years - Iraq could descend into civil war as other interest move to fill the power vacuum. As has been stated on numerous occasions, Iraq could become a regional conflict. That would further embolden Iran (and our other enemies) who already carries considerable confidence as can be seen by their defiance to the world over their nuclear program. Complete US defeat is totally unacceptable in my opinion. 4. The US, the Middle East and the world benefits from a stable and peaceful Iraq for obvious reasons.