Regardless of one's view on the rationale for the war itself, we can all agree that our men and women of the armed forces and their counterparts in various other government agencies have served with distinction and done a remarkable job in turning some of the world's most unstable and dangerous cities and provinces into a more unified nation that is now stable enough to govern and secure itself. Unfortunately, the cost has been high -- with over 4,000 American deaths and a stunning 30,000 plus wounded.
Those families who have lost loved ones and the men and women recuperating from their injuries can hopefully be comforted by the fact that their sacrifices have freed a nation from the evils of a dangerous tyrant and achieved the military and political gains necessary to remove our troops from the dangerous role as security lead.
The road ahead for Iraq will remain turbulent, as the pursuit of freedom so often is. The future of Iraq is now in its own hands -- a fate yearned for by millions of oppressed peoples across the globe. This is in sharp contrast to the many critics at home who want to continue to focus on banners and poorly-timed speeches of the past. Lost in this shuffle is a story of an infant democracy in the Middle East that continues to go largely unnoticed.
Michael Reagan
Michael Reagan, the eldest son of Ronald Reagan, is heard daily by over 5 million listeners via his nationally syndicated talk radio program, “The Michael Reagan Show.”