Progress in Iraq By U.S. Senator Jon Kyl

Weekly Column June 12, 2006
Progress in Iraq By U.S. Senator Jon Kyl

It is all too rare the media reports good news from Iraq; but the world recently witnessed a series of events that were too positive for even the most cynical reporters to spin or ignore. In the most celebrated instance, coalition forces, in close coordination with Iraqi and Jordanian intelligence, were able to locate and kill the Iraqi leader of al Qaeda, Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi. And on the very same day, the new Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki named the final two members of his cabinet, putting his nation on the road to democratic stability.

Zarqawi was among the vilest terrorists the world has ever known and was dedicated to fanning the flames of sectarian violence in Iraq, preventing the emergence of a unified, democratic nation there, and killing as many American troops as possible along the way. As coined by Osama Bin Laden, Zarqawi was “the prince of al Qaeda in Iraq,” and his death strikes at the very heart of the terrorist network. It is a positive step toward victory in the war on terror, a defeat for insurgents, and brings Iraq one step closer to accomplishing its goal of being a free and democratic nation, unfettered by the threat of terrorism. With Zarqawi’s leadership now absent, I am hopeful that the insurgency in Iraq will be less effective, and pose less of a danger to American troops and innocent Iraqis.

But hunting down and killing terrorists will not be enough to build a free Iraqi nation; the Iraqis must also create a functioning government that represents the will of all Iraqi people.

A major step in the right direction was taken when Prime Minister Maliki nominated, and the parliament confirmed, officials for the key posts of Ministers of Defense and Interior. This progress should be heartening to all those who wish to see a stable, secure, democratic Iraq.

Our work in Iraq is far from over and we must now capitalize on this momentum by recommitting ourselves to victory there. Our military men and women, and the Iraqi people, need to know that we will not give up on them after the sacrifices they’ve made. A Marine stationed in Fallujah recently wrote a letter to his hometown paper in Ridgefield, Connecticut, expressing what must be the view of many of his comrades in arms:

“In Fallujah, the people watch Al Jazeerah. However, they also watch CNN. A lot of them fear that the United States will soon cut and run. …Furthermore, they know that the insurgents will not end their efforts early…Therefore, if they help us, their lives and the lives of their loved ones will be in great jeopardy the minute we leave - if we don’t finish the job. Much that they see on American television leads them to believe that we intend to abandon our efforts before the new Iraqi government is capable of defending itself and its citizens.”
We have the finest military in the world, and each and every American should be proud of the job our fighting men and women are doing under grueling circumstances in Iraq. The death of Zarqawi, and the completion of the Iraqi cabinet, are both testaments to the progress being made in that country. Our troops need and deserve their country to stand united behind them, now more than ever.

Sen. Kyl serves on the Senate Finance and Judiciary committees and chairs the Senate Republican Policy Committee.