How About We Concern Ourselves With Victory?

I am writing ahead of the 2007 State of the Union Address to be delivered by President Bush. Throughout the day, it has sounded as if the speech has already been given as analysts go back and forth about what is meant by what he will say. Good grief.

Without a doubt, the President will address the Global War on Terror (GWOT) and the war in Iraq (one and the same in my book). The topic of troop “surge” is unavoidable. Of course, our partisan mainstream media has been gloating over opposition to increasing troop strength there ever since President Bush made this proposal known. Never mind that one of the Democrat’s talking points for quite a long time has been the lack of additional military strength committed to the Iraq front.

I have one question. In spite of our freedom to disagree, don’t you think that it is time to concern ourselves with victory? There are some analysts and commentators whom I have a great deal of respect for who question this latest strategy. I’m not too sure what it is supposed to accomplish, especially if the additional troops are given no more freedom to prosecute this war than those who have gone before them. But what do I know? I’m no in-the-know military strategist. But I do think that it is a rather bad idea for Congress to oppose this effort to the point of debating “resolutions of disapproval!” Are they really so ignorant of what motivates and aids our enemies? Apparently not. From today’s hearing of Gen. Petraeus before Congress:

LIEBERMAN: “I want to ask you, what effect would Senate passage of a resolution of disapproval of this new way ahead that you embrace, what effect would it have on our enemies in Iraq?”

PETRAEUS: This is a test of wills at the end of the day, and in that regard, speaking purely as a military commander if confirmed, albeit, one who frankly does understand enormously and treasures the value of free and open debate, free speech, who has put himself in harm's way to protect those great features of our democracy, nonetheless, having said that, a commander in such an endeavor would obviously like the enemy to feel that there's no hope.

LIEBERMAN: And the resolution, Senate-passed resolution of disapproval for this new strategy in Iraq would give the enemy some encouragement, some feeling that -- that -- well, some clear expression that the American people were divided?

PETRAEUS: That's correct, sir.

I ask again: How about we just concern ourselves with victory? Is that too much to ask in this war?

(Photo: Lieutenant General Petraeus)