The Wall Street Journal today published an editorial by Paul Wolfowitz that makes the case for optimism about prospects for Iraq. Wolfowitz opined at length about steps the United States will take to secure the liberation of Iraq after the Coalition Provisional Authority transfers power to the Interim Iraqi Government on June 30. The steps include creating security forces to support the political transition of power, rebuilding the civil infrastructure, increasing international support for the transition to democracy, and realizing constitutional self-government by the end of 2005.
While the media marches to the drumbeat of terror by emphasizing the latest Islamist atrocities, the people of Iraq look beyond the headlines for hope. Wolfowitz wrote about successes the media ignores- successes that create momentum that favors democracy. He wrote about newly constituted security forces that are giving Iraqis confidence in the United States promise of self-government. He wrote about the increased availability of government health and education services funded by oil revenues.
Wolfowitz emphasized the gratitude of the Iraqi people for their liberation. He wrote that Iyad Allawi, the new president interrupted his Arabic introduction of the new government, saying, “I would like to say this in English. I would like to thank the coalition led by the United States for the sacrifices they have provided in the process of the liberation of Iraq.”
The media, leftists in America and Europe, and elitists in the United Nations will not recognize the liberation of Iraq as a success. They long to see America fail. They cling to the hope that the Iraqi people are so hostile to America that they would rather lose liberty than see America succeed. In fact, many Iraqis have died to preserve freedom. Wolfowitz quoted an Iraqi blogger named Omar: “We cannot . . . protect every single person, including our leaders and the higher officials who make favorite targets for the terrorists--but we can make their attempts go in vain by making our leadership replaceable.”
Omar may be an Iraqi “Patrick Henry”. His is the ultimate refutation of the Islamist definition of a martyr as a murderer who dies while killing innocents. There is no stronger response to Islamist depravity than a people willing to be killed in order to preserve liberty. Omar is in effect saying, “Give me liberty or give me death.” If the Iraqi people embrace this cry, their freedom is assured.
Posted by publius at June 10, 2004 11:19 PM