America’s Scorecard in Iraq

Iraqi Army Maj. Mohammed, executive officer for 3rd Battalion, 9th Brigade, 3rd Division and U.S. Army Capt. David Myers and Capt. Alejandro Gentry, 1st Battalion, 12th Brigade, 3rd Military Transition Team discuss plans for the upcoming elections during a visit to a polling station in the Al Kudis neighborhood of Mosul, Iraq, on Jan. 24, 2009. DoD photo by Staff Sgt. JoAnn S. Makinano, U.S. Air Force. (Released)

From The New York Times:

BAGHDAD — This is what victory in the war in Iraq was supposed to look like: Fifteen million Iraqis voting in free and fair (largely) elections, emerging from their polling stations with their purple-stained fingers in an atmosphere that was free (largely) of intimidation or violence.

When Iraq’s regional elections were held last weekend, that was indeed the scene. What’s more, when the results were announced, it became clear that parties promising security and national unity, led by Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki’s bloc, had fared better than exclusively sectarian ones that until recently seemed bent on sundering the country.

The elections again raised hopes that a stable, democratic Iraq was emerging from the calamity of six years of war, an outcome that could hasten the departure of the remaining 140,000 American troops, as President Obama suggested in his congratulatory calls to Iraqi leaders.

But there are other measures of victory in Iraq, and so at this, yet another hinge in Iraq’s tortured history, it seems a fair time to ask: Has the war enhanced American strategic interests in the troubled Middle East, as President Bush and the other champions of the war long argued would happen?

The answer really is no, or at least not yet.

Read more ....

My Comment: I share a completely different point of view. Iraq was not only a mess before, but it brought about wars against its neighbors that resulted in hundreds of thousands dead, and instability throughout the region. That is now over.

Iran has been waging a low grade intensity war against the U.S. and its allies in the region for 30 years. What has been the the result .... a collapsing economy with high unemployment and inflation. Armies facing them on both sides of their borders. A low grade insurgency among many of its ethnic minorities. The invasion of Iraq would never have brought about that situation.

Al Qaeda decided to bring the war against the U.S. and its allies in Iraq 6 years ago. After tens of thousands of civilians murdered by these thugs, they are now discredited in much of the Arab world. It is no surprise that where they are now (their last refuge in Pakistan) is also bringing about conflict and war. But like Iraq, they will also lose in the tribal regions of Pakistan over a period of time.

The scorecard is good .... with the only question mark being Afghanistan.