The war in Iraq has many critics.Most notable are the Democrats, of course, but also the reporters in “the green zone” staying at four-star hotels who have been more than critical. The reporters in Iraq who work in the community have more optimism about the situation, and I think their reports should be included when forming your opinion about the war.

The critics say-

Too many soliders are dying!

Who can argue with that, but they are volunteers fighting for others freedom as well as our own. The war has degraded into a guerilla style war, but it is against a few extremists hiding in mosques they know Americans will not shoot at. Thousands more civilians were killed on September 11th than soldiers in Iraq, and according to our own government many more civilians will die in the next terrorist attack coming to a city near you.

It is taking too long!

At the same stage during our American Revolution, six months after the Declaration of Independence, British forces were advancing toward Philadelphia and Washington had lost 90% percent of his army. During the Civil War, General Lee was leading the first campaign into Northern territory. The Japanese were in American territory, and battles in the Aleutian Islands cost many hundreds of soldiers their lives during two days of fighting in WWII. After sixteen months in Iraq, the first free elections are scheduled for January. How much faster do you want things to go?

It costs too much money!

I do not have enough space here for a policy argument about the generosity of our foreign aid, or funding government entitlement programs. Until Iraq’s elected government can handle security on their own, we need to help them and not run away. Freedom has never been free.

Bush lied!

Bottom-line is that there is a difference between being wrong and lying, and it still may turn out that Bush was not wrong about WMD after all. We found some after the invasion but not in the quantity that almost every credible intelligence agency in the world had suspected. It is clear Saddam was going to have the capability to make more.

Kerry, Moore and Dean think so!

They always said there was no connection between Al Qaeda and Iraq. 9/11 Commission Chairman Kean says, “There were contacts between Iraq and al-Qaeda, a number of them…They were definitely there.” Check pages, 66, 78, 128, 334, 336, 470, 502, and 559 of their report for yourself. Remember, the commission did not have access to top-secret files on the subject.

The world is not involved!

The United Nations are master debaters, but they rarely take any action. America is the only country that takes action in helping others to live in peace, so you idealist remember that when you say, “Bush is Hitler,” or “Make Love not War.”

It destabilizes the region!

If you were arguing that it destabilizes the fascist dictators of the region then I would agree with you. Gaddafi of Libya was quick to give up his weapons program. Do you have a problem destabilizing countries like Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia, or others that write violations of basic human rights into their laws?

The Iraqis hate us!

It seems the only ones who hate us are the Islamic extremists. A majority of the people in every poll taken are thankful to have a say in their new government. The interim Iraqi government has asked us to stay and help secure the nation from Saddam-type despots and fascists.

Our action incites hatred for America!

We are an imperialist nation that exports freedom. We are so bad! Is freedom not capable of existing in Arab culture? Anyone who does not think everyone desires to be free, and instinctively chooses life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness needs to move to the communist nation of his or her choice.

Abu Gharib prison!

If you listen to John Kerry or Ted Kennedy, you may think this behavior is common. The military investigated and prosecuted the idiots responsible. Where is the outrage at the prison system in California? If people showed half the outrage at policies in the American prisons, there might not be a system where a short sentence in Folsom equates to a life sentence.

It mystifies me when someone says the Iraq War is anything but a success. After 16 months of fighting in Iraq, America toppled a dictator and is rebuilding an entire country. It took America a while to do the same, so have a little patience.