Security Housekeeping
Published - The Australian Wednesday, February 15, 2006
It is natural that people want to be done with the Iraq mess and withdraw our forces. But alas this will not make our problems go away. History does not stand still. Every way of life is eventually challenged. Our modern western way of life is being challenged now. We have to decide if it's worth saving. What we do in Iraq is key to the outcome.
If we act the ostrich and turn away, we give the green light to dictators and sects throughout the region and the world that democracy is defeated and that might is right. We would just be putting things off till a bigger war down the track. Like we did with Hitler.
The vast majority of Iraq want a democratic country. A ruthless minority want to take control and bully their countrymen. By hanging in and supporting the people's hopes, we defend democracies everywhere, including our own.
The ongoing daily bloodshed caused by the insurgent factions is just enough to blight our news reports every day. That is the whole idea - to wear us down and make us give up. Far better for us to continue an indefinite housekeeping operation - and wear down the insurgents - than to quit and face a bigger and bolder enemy later on.
Philip O'Carroll