Since September 11th the United States has made significant progress in the War on Terror. Counterterrorism efforts have led to the death or capture of hundreds of Al Qaida members. Arab governments are cooperating more than ever, and two of the most brutal regimes in the world have been destroyed (Saddam’s Iraq and Taliban’s Afghanistan). American troops are now helping to build two new democratic governments in the Middle East that reject terrorism. In the next few years the U.S. will be withdrawing from Iraq and Afghanistan, which some believe is a signal that we are giving up. In reality the Middle East region is more hostile than ever toward terrorist groups. However, we must remain on the offensive. Even after we leave Iraq and Afghanistan, the fight will not over.

The patience of the American people has been tested in both Iraq and Afghanistan. We found no significant weapons programs in Iraq and we failed to execute an effective post-war strategy. In Afghanistan we achieved a quick victory over the Taliban but struggled for years to build a stable government and keep the Taliban out. In recent years the Taliban have regained some of their strength.

However, setbacks should not be confused with inevitable defeat. The success of the surge strategy under General David Petraeus demonstrates that we should not become discouraged so easily. Wars require patience and resilience.

Since Vietnam, Americans are constantly worried of foreign conflicts transforming into quagmires. The mainstream media and liberals contribute by drawing parallels between Vietnam and our current operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Unfortunately these comparisons don’t stand up to scrutiny. Young Americans were not around during the Vietnam War (I was born ten years after) and therefore can’t really compare the conflicts.

First, Iraq and Afghanistan are much smaller conflicts in comparison to Vietnam. Over 58,000 Americans were killed in Vietnam while less than 8,000 have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan combined. Less than a third of the entire U.S. ground forces are currently deployed in both countries. Second, the two wars eat up a mere 5% of the federal budget. The costs of these two conflicts are nowhere near the relative costs of the Vietnam War. Finally, the U.S. did not institute a draft for Iraq and Afghanistan, which forces thousands of Americans to serve in the military. Throughout both recent conflicts, we have maintained an all-volunteer fighting force.

There are many Young Americans opposed to our use of force in Iraq on moral grounds, which is a perfectly reasonable assertion. However, the argument that the United States has worn itself down militarily and financially is not accurate. These two wars are not responsible for the economic downturn or the large national debt we now face. In 2009, the federal government had a deficit of $1.2 trillion, while the two wars cost roughly $160 billion. A significant portion of the deficit is due to increased domestic spending and a decline in tax revenue. In short, our economic troubles have very little to do with Iraq and Afghanistan.

Young Americans are also increasingly concerned as to our reputation in the world as a result of the unpopular Iraq War. This is also a reasonable concern but one must consider that the actual damage to American diplomatic relations has been small. It is true that our popularity has declined among the people in Europe and other parts of the World. However, no alliances have been broken, no trade deals cancelled, or sanctions imposed as a result of the Iraq War. In fact, most Arab countries are cooperating more than ever in U.S. counterterrorism efforts.

It is also dangerous for the U.S., or any country, to pull out from a conflict so quickly and dramatically. If the United States pulled out in 2006-2007 as some demanded, Iraq would have fallen into chaos and would likely become a new headquarters for Al Qaida. Although Saddam did not have weapons of mass destruction, our withdrawal would have the unintended consequence of leaving a country in the hands of another enemy, Al Qaida.

Fortunately for Americans and Iraqis, the war has been a success. Al Qaida in Iraq is all but destroyed, Saddam’s regime is gone, and the new democratic government is slowly gaining strength and credibility. Currently the U.S. has 50,000 troops in Iraq but most expect them to be withdrawn in the next two years.

Afghanistan is a very different situation. It was the staging area for the September 11th attacks and the headquarters of Osama Bin Laden. The Taliban refused to hand him over, which resulted in our invasion in 2001-2002. Although we were initially successful, Afghanistan has widespread social, economic, and political problems which have yet to be resolved. The new government is still weak and lacks legitimacy in certain parts of the country. The U.S. and its allies have also failed to provide adequate security until recently. President Obama’s Surge of 2009 was the right move and with Gen. Petraeus now in command, we have our best general implementing a proven strategy.

There are likely more tough years ahead in Afghanistan, but we absolutely CANNOT pull out. The Taliban is gaining strength and could regain power. It is likely Afghanistan will never be the kind of free and prosperous democracy that some envision. Whatever form the Afghan government takes, the U.S. must make sure it is strong enough to defend the people from the Taliban and Al Qaida. They must never be allowed to regain power in that country.

There are many lessons we have learned in the last nine years of conflict. The U.S. intelligence community must be independent of the political branches of government, and not be used to help the President “make his case” to the people. We must also be more careful in our post-war planning, which was seriously lacking in Iraq. The U.S. must also avoid the temptation to fight wars “on the cheap” or with insufficient manpower in order to avoid casualties or political resistance back home. Finally, Americans must realize that once we commit to the use of force, we cannot walk away simply because the war is unpopular or not going well initially. Quick withdrawal can have devastating consequences.

The U.S. must finish the job in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is necessary for our own national security as well as security in the Middle East region. It is reckless and dangerous to invade a foreign country and then withdraw a couple years later due to political pressure back home. We lose credibility, and it also shows our enemies that they can defeat us by simply holding out for a while or killing as many American soldiers as possible on television. We cannot allow our enemies to be so emboldened. The reason for a strong defense and assertive foreign policy is to deter enemies and would-be aggressors from using force against us or our allies. By holding to our commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan, we will have defeated two major enemies, demoralized terrorists around the world, and maintained our deterrence. The American people must support the mission in both countries and remain patient, giving our soldiers time to succeed.

Author Bio: J. Wesley Fox is the Chairman of Restore America’s Legacy PAC. He is a recent graduate of DePaul University College of Law and has been active in local and national politics for several years. He currently lives in New Jersey after growing up in the Chicago suburbs. www.restoreamericaslegacy.com

Category: Politics
Keywords: Iraq,Afghanistan,War,Petraeus,Surge,Obama,Saddam Hussein,strong national defense,deterrence