Much has been stated about the fact that we were wrong to enter Iraq. That success is measured by how quickly we can get out of Iraq.

Consider this: Iraq is in the heart of what most extremist Muslims consider holy ground. By attacking Iraq we attacked the heart of what the extremist Muslim holds dear. They have responded in force. Millions of dollars and extremist soldiers have been spent by those terrorists defending their "homeland". Those same dollars and terrorists could have been spent attacking civilian targets around the world, including the United States. But they were not, they were spent attacking our trained soldiers, who are far better protected than the soft targets they would have attacked had we not entered Iraq. As a bonus we got rid of a ruthless dictator who was trampling all over human rights and killing all who opposed him. A dictator who regularly made speeches threatening America and American interests. A dictator who regularly aided terrorists and rewarded them for attacking Israel. A dictator who had proven that he was capable of using weapons of mass destruction, even on entire villages in his own country. A dictator who regularly implied that he would attack our soldiers with weapons of mass destruction if they entered the country. A dictator known to have the means to develop weapons of mass destruction. The fact that he was full of hot air, that his scientists were not currently producing any such weapon is fortunate hindsight. He could have been doing so, we had some indications he might have been doing so, and it served our purposes to come to the aid of those he was harming and killing within his own country. Have we been successful? Attacks against American interests, against Americans, against America have been very low or non-existent outside of the battlefield we chose. We are not fighting the terrorists on the streets of New York, LA, Dallas or Chicago. Nineteen terrorists killed 2,974 people on 9/11. Today, our trained soldiers are killing far more terrorists than they are killing Americans. THAT is success. Have we lost many good soldiers in the fight, yes. I attend the funerals of every soldier killed from my home town and it is a very sad thing every time we lose a soldier who had a bright and happy life ahead of him or her. However, they have sacrificed their lives defending us from terrorists, not because Al Queda existed or did not exist in Iraq prior to the invasion, but because after we invaded Iraq the terrorists have been so busy trying to get us out of Iraq that they have left us alone elsewhere. We are choosing the when, where, who, what, and how for the battle on terror. THAT is how you win a war. Previously they chose who, when, what, how, and where and we were reacting to their choices, not anymore.

Have we made some mistakes, sure, we have human beings running the war. Intelligent human beings waging war against an intelligent and determined enemy. We try to determine what they will do and prepare. They try to figure out what we are going to do and foil our plans. Mistakes are made on both sides, we just hope they make more than us. But if anyone thinks this should have been easy, if anyone thinks that the only reason we are not already out of Iraq is because of our mistakes or that we are fighting a dumb enemy, they are seriously underestimating the enemy. No one said the war on terror was going to be easy. Some may have thought that things went so well it would be a short war in Iraq, but no one said the war against the terrorists would be easy. We are fighting the terrorists on two fronts, in two countries, that is always difficult. Unfortunately, the terrorists do not think of Afghanistan as Holy ground, but they were willing to train there and exploit the local populations to achieve their goals. They would not and have not rushed to defend Afghanistan as they have rushed to defend Iraq. They are well funded and have intelligent leaders, but so are we and for the most part, we are fighting them on our terms, in the locations of our choosing, where we can control the timing to a large degree, and we are fighting them with the very best trained, best equipped, and most courageous group of fighting men and women in the world. Could they be better equipped, maybe. Should they be, absolutely. But there is no fighting force better equipped than our soldiers. There is no finer example of Courage and Honor than the men and women of our military. Not perfect, just better.

We will win, as long as we don't turn and run for our home ground. If we do, the terrorists will be glad to follow us and fight here at the time and places of their choosing. Just like on 9/11.

Let's not surrender ground in the fight on terror that has been purchased with the blood of our courageous men and women, just to advance the causes of a political party. THAT is failure, and failure that spits on the graves of our brave men and women who believed in the United States and Freedom so much they were willing to volunteer to fight and die in order to protect our Freedom and our Honor. Our Freedom to go to work, to travel, to play without the fear of being "Bitch slapped" on our own soil. Never again!!!