28 MAY 07 / "Iranian Threat Heightens Iraq's Importance"

With Democrats in control of Congress, an embattled President Bush is unable to achieve any of his foreign and domestic policy goals. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is hanging on by his nails, other investigations are mounting, and the war in Iraq is lost according to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

The Democrats' attempts to discredit and embarrass the Bush administration in order to win the presidency in 2008 are emboldening our enemies and making it more difficult for the president to keep Americans safe. Foremost among our enemies is the nation of Iran, which is just a year or two away from arming itself with nuclear weapons.

Many liberals believe global warming is the most serious threat to humanity -- an absurdity considering the increasing likelihood that portable "suitcase" nuclear weapons will fall into the hands of terrorists, threatening the lives of millions of Americans and the survival of our system of government and way of life.

The difficulty for the president is that another preemptive attack in the Middle East would be next to impossible to launch. Barring an Iranian attack on our fleet in the Persian Gulf or on targets here in the United States, the president could not muster the public support necessary to initiate a military strike. The Democrat-controlled Congress would not grant the president authority in the wake of our problems in Iraq. This leaves the United States caught in a flat-footed posture, and the Iranians know it; which is why they will likely overplay their hand as they almost did by taking the British Marines hostage.

And any strike on Iran would have to be strategic and lightning quick. We cannot afford to telegraph our intentions with a congressional debate. Not to attack Iran because mistakes made in Iraq would be an even graver mistake that threatens national security. There are those who will question our intelligence on Iran's weapons programs. Despite its economic and societal problems, Iran is vying to become a regional hegemon. If Iran acquires nuclear weapons, it will trigger a regional nuclear arms race.

Tony Blair's departure from the world stage doesn't make it easier for  the president. Blair has been an articulate spokesman for the use of preemptive military action in the global war on terror.

What do we do about Iran? We win in Iraq. We cannot hope to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon if we withdraw from Iraq in defeat. To do so would be perceived as a sign of weakness, encourage more terrorism, and further destabilize the region. Iran will likely commit an act that will turn world opinion back in favor of America. When that happens, we must be ready to act.

The United States has lost more than 3,400 men and women in Iraq to ensure weapons of mass destruction originating from that country do not make it into the hands of a terrorist bound for the United States. How will we ensure such weapons do not originate from Iran? We must continue to do what is necessary to keep Americans safe. The United States lost more than 6,800 Marines in 35 days in the battle for Iwo Jima. Iraq today is of more strategic importance than Iwo Jima in 1945. Mistakes were made in Iraq. However, mistakes are made in every war America has fought.

If United States forces were to leave Iraq precipitously, it would leave a vacuum into which the Iranians would flow. They would install a puppet government under someone like Moqtada al Sadr, who would move against the Sunnis and the Kurds in Northern Iraq, one area of the country where people enjoy relative stability and peace.

While the United States should not impose its values upon the people of the Middle East, but the fundamental purpose of American foreign policy should be the promotion of freedom, peace, and prosperity around the world.

For the anti-war protesters who hold signs saying "Give Peace a Chance," what kind of peace do they think the terrorists will allow us? Or Iraq would be enjoying if we were to leave before the government had a chance to stand on its own?

This is not a time for the United States to back down in the face of mounting pressure. Nuclear weapons will not need to be delivered with ICBMs when thousands of jihadists are so willing to kill themselves in order to kill just one American or British soldier or Marine. If we leave Iraq prematurely, Iran will dominate the Middle East and Al Qaeda will follow us home.