Committing more troops to Iraq essential

Hussein's death marks a victory in the war, but not the end

FOR MY GENERATION, Saddam Hussein has always been THE bad guy. If Uncle Sam has had an arch-nemesis over the years, it has been Hussein.

I still remember laughing as a kid when Topper Harley dropped a warhead onto a sunbathing Hussein in the movie “Hot Shots!” I was only about 8 years old when I saw it, but I knew well enough that Hussein was to the United States what Shredder was to the Ninja Turtles or Megatron was to Optimus Prime.

But now he’s dead, executed for crimes against his own people.

The exact nature of the charges held against him is inconsequential in most Americans’ minds; all that matters is that the villain of our childhood is dead.

So now we have to ask ourselves: is it time to celebrate?

To a certain extent yes, but mostly no.

Our innate sense of justice demands that crimes meet fit punishments. Hussein killed and tortured innocent people, and thus his life was forfeit to an international community that prides itself on the protection of human rights.

The sensible retribution of heinous acts and the prevention of injustice by just means are praiseworthy and have been rightly praised throughout history; this instance is no different.

For those who value human rights and hold the good of others equal to their own, this is a moment to celebrate.

But the dispatch of Saddam Hussein doesn’t guarantee that Iraq will soon be governed by a great leader or enter a golden age of democracy.

In fact, Iraq seems to be doomed to just the opposite.

Terrorism, religious strife, corruption and incompetence plague Iraq’s citizens.

My brother, a first lieutenant stationed in Baghdad, tells me that most of the Iraqi soldiers he works with are uncooperative and unfit to defend their nation. They bicker about minor issues and neglect the important details of their daily operations.

Each day Iraq’s citizens grow more and more accustomed to violence and fear, leaving this generation and the next permanently scarred in both mind and spirit, and they don’t have the proper governmental or military institutions to prevent further damage.

Now President Bush wants to send over 20,000 more troops into Iraq to ensure our victory, but the Democratic Congress wants to pull out of Iraq with all haste, though it’s anybody’s guess whether they will call it a victory or a defeat.

Bush believes that a continued American presence in Iraq is vital to our interests and the interests of the Middle East, and I agree with him for three reasons.

First, the United States needs to make it clear to the international community that we are committed to rooting out terrorism and Jihadism while promoting democracy. Backing out of Iraq now would give the impression that we are shortsighted and halfhearted, something our European allies would relish and our enemies would exploit.

Second, Iraq will collapse without the aid of American troops. Our military’s presence provides scaffolding around which the Iraqis are slowly building a new nation.

The religious and political divisions in Iraq are too strong at the moment to expect anything other than unchecked civil war without the peacekeeping efforts of American troops.

Third, Iran and its frighteningly Hitler-esque president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, present an imminent threat to the security of the Middle East. I am convinced that Ahmadinejad wants nothing less than the rebirth of the Persian Empire, and he is willing to use nuclear weapons and to destroy Israel to establish his dominance.

A strong American presence in Iraq will make him think twice before making any rash moves against Iraq or other nations in the Middle East.

So no, this is no time to celebrate. The execution of Saddam Hussein is a milestone in the war on terror and the war in Iraq, but it is not the end.

For those who value human rights and hold the good of others equal to their own, now is the time to rally behind our president and our troops.

We let go our childish ideas about villains long ago, and now we must let go of our childish ideas about war. Simply pulling out of Iraq is childish and wrong.

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