The Good Tidings: The Calculus for War in Iraq Is Working

Good News, the war on Iraq has been working:

+ elimination of a dictator who had scoffed at the U.N. (misappropriated its resources) and marked the U.S. military as an impotent force since it was wielded by wimps. Saddam, had already survived and prospered in his earlier Gulf War "defeat." (see below)
+ confrontation of the growing, organizing terrorist threat in Iraq and elsewhere; but not on home soil. (so far, so good)
+ prevention of WMD falling into AQ's hands and denial of friendly nation comfort and aid to terrorists+ (so far, so good)
+demonstration of will to pre-emptively strike as necessary to deter aid and comfort at the national level (so far, Libya and Syria)
+ world's chief terrorists are cornered and impotent, bin Laden by forces in Afghanistan - not the war in Iraq.

How do we know the news is good? Review the changing of the tide.

May 20, 2005: Muslims dismiss religious justification for killing given by Al-Qaeda’s in Iraq.

Sept. 29, 2005: Abu Musab al-Zarqawi Already Foresees His Own Demise

Nov. 09, 2005: Zarqawi Moves His Headquarters to Baghdad - In order to make it impossible to hold parliamentary elections as scheduled on December 15, the al Qaeda commander has tied himself down to Baghdad restricting his freedom of movement, which had been unfettered in the wide open Anbar province. He is more vulnerable to capture or being killed. ...mounting international pressure on Bashar Assad’s regime may remove Syria as al Qaeda’s rear base and escape hatch. In Anbar near the Syrian border, he would have laid himself open to a collaborative Syrian-American turned against him.

Nov. 20, 2005: Officials Probing Whether Raid in Mosul Killed Zarqawi

Nov. 20, 2005: Saddam lawyers ready to attend Nov. 28 hearing

Nov. 21, 2005: Zarqawi's 'days are numbered' headline

Nov. 21, 2005: Zarqawi's close family publicly denounces him

Nov, 28, 2005: crimes against humanities hearing (Saddam and seven senior associates) scheduled (not interrupted by Zarqawi, yet)

Critics call for an end to the war in Iraq. Borrowing from General Norman Schwarzkopf of Saddam Hussein, it is obvious that:

As far as these critics being great military strategists, they are neither strategists, nor are they schooled in the operational arts, nor are they tacticians, nor are they generals, nor are they soldiers. Other than that, they are great military people. I
want you to know that.

note: Stormin' Norman was right about this, too: Don't rush into war 29 January 2003.