Your Jiffy Lube Keys to the Game

Success in Iraq will be determined by the Iraqi government. The announcement today by al-Maliki that militiamen must lay down arms or face destruction is the first hopeful moment this conflict has seen since the Iraqi elections. The success in Iraq, if possible, will come only after the national government shows itself to be the strongest force in the country. Bush seems to understand this and it is clear that al-Maliki announced this policy change today because he was advised to do so by the US. Success in Iraq is exactly as important as Bush stated. I hope, as does he, that the critics offer viable solutions along with their concerns. The anti-war movement has no solutions as it is an emotional and not a logical expression of dissent. But thoughtful critics do exist and hopefully they will seize this moment to add to our nation's chances of success.

My main concern with the new policy comes from the fact that Syria and Iran were explicitly described as assisting our enemies and yet there is no remedy for that problem other then disrupting the supply lines. Both nations are at war with us. Just as both nations are at war with Israel. And yet neither the US nor Israel is doing anything other than whining about this. I'm not implying here that these facts demand invasion. However, they do require much stronger responses than have been made to date. My fear is that Israel's defeat last summer has made a solution from a position of strength impossible in the minds of the US and Israel. This will simply delay conflict and give the enemy more time to prepare for that moment. Optimism can only be found in the hope that Israel learned from the summer and will be able to apply those lessons effectively when the next battle comes. And it will come.