Ask the Iraqis

One of the most significant opinions about the war in Iraq (was it worth it?) is addressed in a post by Austin Bay. The diplomatic tiff between Iraq and Jordan (they are witdrawing their embassy staff) is the first sign that Iraq itself really thinks that it deserves peace - not the pseudo peace sought after by the withdraw-at-any-cost crowd, but the peace afforded by law and order. The Iraqi electorate has been protesting the celebration in Jordan of the suicide bomber of Hilla who killed 125 Iraqis. This newly vocal electorate is demanding that its neighbors stop supporting (celebrating and abetting) the terrorists who indiscriminantly kill them. Finally, a country in the region that is esposing civilized values. Why does is it so difficult to see that celebrating the wanton massacre of innocent civilians is evil?

There is one other post by Austin Bay that also gives hope. He quotes Husayn Uthman, an Iraqi, who argues that their country is immeasurably better off now, with Saddam gone.

I am sheltered in Iraq, but I know how the world feels, how people have come to either love or hate Bush, as though he is the emobdiement of this war. As though this war is part of Bush, they forget the over twenty million Iraqis, they forget the Middle Easterners, they forget the average person on the street, the average man with the average dream.

Ask him if it was worth it. Ask him what is different. Ask him if he would go through it again, go ahead ask him, ask me, many of you have.

Now I answer you, I answer you on behalf of myself, and my countrymen. I dont care what your news tells you, what your television and newspapers say, this is how we feel. Despite all that has happened. Despite all the hurt, the pain, blood, sweat and tears. These two years have given us hope we never had.

Hope, that is what this war has given the Iraqi people.

The anti-war crowd still persists in railing against the war - mainly for the huge sacrifices that it has exacted from both our country and from Iraq. But just one opionion like that of Husayn Uthman requires that we examine our perspective.

Remember the line penned by Thomas Paine, "That which we obtain too easily, we esteem too lightly. It is dearness only which gives everything its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price on its goods." The Iraqis and our own troops know the dearness of freedom.